


Looking for One Piece

by Silicu (silmil)



Category: One Piece
Genre: ASL Watching Marvel, Alternate Universe - Assassins & Hitmen, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Cats, Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Still Have Powers, Alternate Universe - Teachers, Alternate Universe - Vampire, Alternate Universe -Delinquent, Angst, Bad Puns, Baking, Blood Drinking, Boats and Ships, Bread, Breaking Up & Making Up, British vs American, Brothers, Canon Compliant, Canon Memory Loss, Canon-Typical Violence, Canonical Character Death, Chance Meetings, Chapter 702, Chapter Related, Characters as Cats, Chocolate, Clubbing, Confessions, Confrontations, Cravings, Dancers, Dating, Demons, Depression, Doctors & Physicians, Domestic Bliss, Domestic Fluff, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Engagement, Established Relationship, Exams, Family Reunions, Fast Cars, Fights, First Dates, First Kiss, First Meetings, Flirting, Flowers, Fluff, Food, Gen, Gore, Guardians - Freeform, Hammocks, Hats, Home, Illnesses, Jealousy, Kidnapping, Language of Flowers, Last words, Laughter, M/M, Major Character Injury, Medical School, Meeting the Parents, Misunderstandings, Modeling, Napping, Nightmares, Originally Posted on Tumblr, Photography, Porn Watching, Prank Wars, Pregnancy, Prompt Fic, Prostitution, Puns & Word Play, Rain, Recovered Memories, References to a Threesome, Spin the Bottle, Spoilers, Suicidal Thoughts, Suicide Attempt, Super Hero Movies, Swords, Time Travel, Tragedy, Trolling, Tumblr Prompt, Undercover, Unresolved Sexual Tension, cat!Law, cat!Luffy, prompt collection
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-07-12
Updated: 2017-10-15
Packaged: 2018-04-08 23:34:19
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 63
Words: 53,782
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4325103
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/silmil/pseuds/Silicu
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A dumpspot for miscellaneous prompts from tumblr. Everything really varies for the chapters, but I'll post details in the beginning.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Napping in the Sunshine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> **Prompt by** : [lunarshores](http://tmblr.co/m_bVMXC8bSz2j9VRzLXw0Xw)  
>  **Prompt** : modern au naps in the sunshine  
>  **Rating** : G  
>  **Warnings** : None  
>  **Tags** : Modern AU, Napping, ASL Brothers, Ace, Luffy, Sabo  
> Originally posted [here](http://silmil-of-erebor.tumblr.com/post/123291377229/prompt).

_Ok, so. Re-trace our steps, and you’ll figure it out,_ Ace thought to himself, as he stared at his brothers, collapsed in the middle of the mostly destroyed meadow, sleeping. _There has to be a reason this happened._

They all decided Luffy deserved a reward after _actually_ graduating high school. In all honesty, neither he nor Sabo ever believed he would, given how often the meatbrain got himself in detention because he beat someone up, and how many of his teachers had simply given up on him.

But the dumb kid had somehow managed it, and Sabo was impressed (so was Ace, but Luffy already had one overly supportive and happy brother, if Ace started doting on him as much as Sabo, he might let it go to his head). 

So, Sabo had decided to use all of his charm on Sanji and actually managed to convince the man to cook them a 10-course picnic meal that they would take with them when they went hiking, because now that Luffy had sat through more than ten exams in the span of a month, he wanted _adventure_. 

So, they had set off this morning after a dine and dash for breakfast, donning gigantic backpacks full of food. The weather had been, and still was, picture perfect, the sun high overhead, air crisp and fresh even in the noon warmth. 

Ace really loved hikes. 

They’d made it to a pretty opening in the forest, green grass dotted by colorful flowers all around, and since Luffy had been complaining since an hour after breakfast, they’d stopped to eat. 

Ace clearly remembers the kid gushing over some beetles on the side and Sabo opening up the last containers. He also remembers deciding that if he didn’t start eating now he wouldn’t actually be able to finish anything when Luffy smelled the food. He remembers grabbing a sandwich as big as his head ( _damn_ , but Sanji knew just how to cook!), remembers thinking how tasty it looked, and then…

He remembers the corners of his eyes turning black. 

Now, he’d woken up what couldn’t be more than half an hour later, and the meadow was mostly trampled, there were broken branches and torn out chunks of ground and an actual uprooted three. The food was, also, completely gone.

Drowsy and annoyed, he got up from his spot and made towards the only undamaged piece of grass in the middle of the destruction where the passed out duo resided, set on beating Luffy up for stealing his lunch. 

But… But, the brat was sprawled out in the sun, arms and legs stretched as far as they can, head tipped back and drool slipping past the corner of his mouth, a stupid grin splitting his face in two as he mumbled in his sleep. 

And just as Ace was struggling to find his earlier annoyance and bump him on the head, a hand grabbed him by the belt and dragged him down unceremoniously. He tried to pull away, but Sabo just pushed him to rest his head on his little brother’s stomach and chuckled sleepily in his ear, throwing a leg over him.

“Give it a rest,” he mumbled, all warm contentment and laziness. “Besides, you know how comfy he gets after he stuffs himself.” 

With that his brother seemed to just fall back asleep, _the traitor_ , leaving Ace hungry and glaring at the white puffy clouds. 

Well, he could leave off beating Luffy for a few hours, since the sun was so warm and, yeah, ok, the kid made a very good pillow when he was too full to kick around in his sleep. Mind set, Ace made himself more comfortable, and let the soft sounds of his brothers’ dreaming lull him to sleep.


	2. Hammocks

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> **Prompt by** : [lunarshores](http://tmblr.co/m_bVMXC8bSz2j9VRzLXw0Xw)  
>  **Prompt** : Hammocks  
>  **Rating** : E  
>  **Warnings** : None  
>  **Tags** : Hammocks, Awkward Sex, Ace, Marco, MarcoAce  
> Originally posted [here](http://silmil-of-erebor.tumblr.com/post/123554480189/prompt-hammocks).

Ace was adventurous, and Marco didn’t mind it on most days. He’d been 20 once, he remembers wanting to try everything himself. Remembers awkward fumbling and heated encounters, remembers trying the things he didn’t like a second time because maybe he’d been wrong. 

And still, despite of all Marco’s experience, Ace somehow managed to find things to try that were new for both of them. Sometimes they ended up spectacular, sometimes – spectacularly bad.

“A-ah, I’m gonna have rope burn on my back,” the younger man panted beneath him, writhing in a way that had the entire hammock twisting and Marco losing his balance. 

This one, the older man figured, might be one of those spectacularly bad ideas.  
He reached to plant his hand next to Ace’s head, but missed the rope and ended up sprawling on top of his partner and if the noise was anything to go by, crushing the breath right out of him.

“Sorry,” he muttered under his breath as he reached up to a higher knot and grabbing onto it securely, before moving his hips again. 

Ace made another breathless sound, but Marco was sure this one had more to do with the relentless assault on his sweet spot rather than the earlier accident. The marks that Marco would have on his knees would be absolutely worth it, he decided as he shifted one of Ace’s legs higher with his free hand and thrust in again, hard and fast just like he knew the younger man liked it. 

Right on queue, Ace gasped and arched his back, trying to gain some leverage with his shoulders to push back, and-

and completely unbalancing the hammock and depositing them both on the hard ground underneath. 

It was Marco’s turn to wheeze, as Ace collapsed on top of him and might have crushed a lung with his less-than-graceful landing. It was through some stroke of luck that he managed not to bang the back of his head on the ground. 

As he gathered his thoughts back into his reeling head, he watched the hammock swinging over the both of them. 

“When you said ‘hammock sex’, I must admit, I didn’t consider the possible spine injuries, eh,” Marco finally found the air to say after a moment of stillness only to have Ace start snickering into his neck.

“We’ll be more careful next time,” the younger man decided and proceeded to thoroughly make it up to Marco in the best possible way.


	3. Know the Whitebeards

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> **Prompt by** : [lollesblog](http://lollesblog.tumblr.com/)  
>  **Prompt** : first time marco hears ace laughing  
>  **Rating** : G  
>  **Warnings** : None  
>  **Tags** : Canon Compliant, Laughing, Prank Wars, Whitebeard Pirates, Ace, Marco  
> Originally posted [here](http://silmil-of-erebor.tumblr.com/post/123820539589/so-so-so-prompt-because-you-said-you-would-like).

There were many things about the Whitebeard Pirates that Ace was going to have to learn, Marco knew. They were a mass of insanity gathered in the relatively spacious Moby Dick. Relatively, because when you had 15 commanders who all had very colorful personalities, and a fair part of their divisions in one place, even a giant ship like theirs couldn’t be enough to escape their particular lunacy.

On his first official day as their brother, Ace learned to never try and take Blenheim’s food. On his second, he learned why the 14th Division Commander was called Speed Jiru. Hilariously enough, it took him almost a week to realize that Izo was a man, and twice as long that Haruta wasn’t. 

Marco made sure to tell him the important things: never hurt a nakama, and don’t try to pet Stefan because he only likes Pops. The rest was for the kid to figure out on his own. He was doing a spectacular job of it so far. 

The one thing the entire crew very pointedly decided not to tell him, was the annual prank war between Thatch and Vista. Part of it was the fact that it was about to start any moment, and half of the fun was seeing the newbies react to it. The other half was, of course, the absolute idiocy those two would get to in the short two weeks. Last year Thatch had been preparing for months before it began, and Vista’s first prank had been to foil all of his carefully crafted plans. 

When on one bright sunny day Marco saw the Forth Division Commander swinging back and forth off the main mast by the ankle of one foot trapped in a noose, he decided that this year it was going to be a good one. 

He also had the pleasure to be close to the new kid when it happened, and when Thatch flew by them screeching like a banshee and trying to keep his hair from getting ruffled by the wind, he got to see up close how Ace’s eyes widened and hear the laugh that seemed to just burst out of him like a dam had broken. 

And just like that, Ace was bent in two, howling with hysterics and trying to keep on his feet by holding onto the railing, Vista was pulling at his mustache in satisfaction from the crow’s nest, and half the crew were rolling on the deck in their own laughter. Thatch’s screamed profanities only served to amuse the crew, as they faded in and out with his movement. 

Ace’s laugh, though, was something new. He’d been slow to open up to his new family and even while the crew had tried to include him in everything, he still acted a little detached. Like he didn’t know how to let himself go. This, though, this full-bodied laughter that shook his frame and made him gasp for air was the first time Marco had seen him let go, and it felt significant.

And as Thatch swung past them once more, swearing like the sailor he was, Ace made to lean against the railing and somehow managed to topple himself over it in his hysterics. The resounding splash made Marco sigh and promptly kick Namur overboard after him. But when Pops’ laughter shook the whole ship at the sight of it, Marco decided the kid might actually make a good addition to the crew, after all.


	4. Meet the Whitebeards

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> **Prompt by** : [ rukia2378](http://rukia2378.tumblr.com)  
>  **Prompt** : au where Marco and Ace are dating and Marco brings him home to meet his dad Whitebeard  
>  **Rating** : G  
>  **Warnings** : None  
>  **Tags** : Modern AU, Meet the Parents, Whitebeard, Ace, Marco, Stefan the Dog, MarcoAce  
> Originally posted [here](http://silmil-of-erebor.tumblr.com/post/123824284589/if-you-havent-done-one-already-how-about-a-prompt).

Ace fidgeted.

“You’re nervous,” Marco grinned.

“No, I am not,” Ace huffed at him and fidgeted some more.

“He’ll like you, eh,” the older man offered, wrapping an arm around his partner. Ace was all but bouncing on his heels, a constant whirr of motion of some sort. His eyes were wide and almost panicked.

Marco had seen this man go skydiving with the largest shit-eating grin on his face and not a hint of nerves, but this, standing in front of Marco’s family’s house was the thing that almost reduced him to biting his fingernails off in his anxiety.

It was strangely endearing.

“He’ll love you because I love you,” he whispered in Ace’s hair and kissed the shell of his ear lightly, feeling it warm under his lips. Those words were still new between them, but Marco was starting to recognize the moments Ace really needed to hear them. 

Before he had even fully recovered from his blush, Ace squared his shoulders and clenched his jaw, a look of absolute determination entering his eyes.

“You know what?” He said, a fire sparking in his irises. “He’s gonna like me. He’s gonna fucking _love_ me!” He declared and with a gravity that would suit a soldier heading into battle, he marched up the steps of the house and rang the bell. 

When the door opened, however, the first thing that came from inside was Thatch’s panicked scream of ‘ _NO, DON’T!_ ’, and the second was Stefan who launched through the door like a rocket, running down the street at speeds that a dog his age shouldn’t be able to achieve. 

The exclamation from inside of ‘ _Get him back!_ ’ was enough to throw Ace into sprinting after the animal as fast as he could, all his nervous energy and some added adrenaline giving him a considerable speed boost. 

They finally entered the house close to an hour later and Marco wouldn’t stop glaring at a sheepish looking Thatch. Pops was right there in the corridor to witness their victorious return. Ace was panting, sweating and covered with dirt from head to toe, twigs in his messy hair, his new jeans had grass stains and his shirt sleeve was torn where Stefan was chewing on his arm. He had a smudge of mud on his cheek, and a grin to rival the one from that time he set the local post office on fire. 

Pops took one look at him, laughed uproariously and told Marco:

“You better keep this one, son.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Continues in [Chapter 8: Meet the Rest](http://archiveofourown.org/works/4325103/chapters/9823947)


	5. Nighttime Disturbance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> **Prompt by** : [lollesblog](http://lollesblog.tumblr.com/) and [ mediocre-icebox](http://mediocre-icebox.tumblr.com/)  
>  **Prompt** : ace waking up from a nightmare?? (maybe that every one of his brothers said they don't need him anymore even marco and thatch ouch and whitebeard) and marco comforting him?  
>  **Rating** : T  
>  **Warnings** : Angst  
>  **Tags** : Canon Compliant, Nightmares, Hurt/Comfort, maybe not enough comfort, Whitebeard, Ace, Marco, Thatch, MarcoAce  
> Originally posted [here](http://silmil-of-erebor.tumblr.com/post/123852904814/prompt-nightmare).

**Nighttime Disturbance**

“He’s a demon!” someone screamed.

“A monster!” came another voice.

“Let’s just throw him overboard,” Thatch snarled, as he rested the tip of his blade to Ace’s throat, making him lean back over the railing. 

He couldn’t breathe, couldn’t find anything to say. He didn’t know how they found out, but they all _knew_ and they hated him, and what- what should he _do_? He _wanted_ to be angry, to lash out, but he couldn’t feel anything but this dark empty hole in his chest which was expanding with every moment. 

A shadow fell over both him and Thatch, and in the middle of all the jeers and curses, Ace looked up, _up_ at the only father he’d accepted, the only one he’d wanted, and begged with his eyes, _don’t hate me, Pops, please_.

“You think the blood of my enemy has place on my ship?” Whitebeard’s voice rose over everyone else’s, loud and booming, like a death sentence. “You think the blood of my enemy has the right to call himself my son?”

There wasn’t enough air, he was right there on the deck of the Moby with the open sky above him, but there _wasn’t enough air_ and he _couldn’t breathe_ \- 

And then the railing he had been leaning on seemed to open up behind him, like the ship herself wanted him to just be gone already, and he couldn’t fight the sob that tore free from his chest. He shut his eyes and he couldn’t look, because Marco was just there in front of him, and he _couldn’t_ hear it, he _couldn’t_ bear what the older man would have to say to him now.

“You should have never been born, eh,” Marco hissed in his ear, low and vicious and destructive. 

And then he shoved him over the edge, and Ace was falling-

And he fell right into his body, tearing awake so violently he almost jumped out of the bed. He felt his form shaking violently, his breaths coming uneven and gasping like sobs, catching in his throat at every inhale. The cabin was too small, too dark, it didn’t have enough air, but if he went out- if he went to the deck-

_What if they knew?_

He brought a hand to cover his face and found hot dampness there and realized why his mouth tasted salty. 

_Oh god, what if they-_

“Shhh, it’s ok, it’s ok,” strong arms wrapped around him from behind and he found himself pulled into a warm embrace, that same voice that all but broke him open barely a few moments ago was right there in his ear, and for a second Ace couldn’t stand it, wanted out, _away_ , needed to go as far from this man as he could, to hide away and never hear him speak again.

His sobs shook him even worse and he wanted to run away, because he was so very _afraid_. 

“It wasn’t real,” Marco murmured into his hair, close and intimate, and nothing like the nightmare. “You’ll be alright, everything will be alright.” It wasn’t true, it was the biggest lie Ace had ever heard, because he was never going to be alright, he had tainted blood running through his veins and nothing was _ever_ going to be alright. 

And still he found himself comforted, his face pressed into the muscular chest, cheek against dark blue ink. The gentle rhythm of fingers carding through his hair chased his shaking away and Marco’s familiar scent of fire and the sea made breathing easier. His words lost meaning to Ace’s reeling mind, but the sound of his voice was soft and pleasant, like a lullaby, the breaths ruffling Ace’s hair relaxing. 

He hated himself for taking this, when he knew it would never be given if Marco was aware of the truth, but it was ok, Ace told himself, he was fucked up enough as it was, a little greediness was all par for the course, right? So he accepted the gentleness and care that Marco offered, and just for one night he pretended he was worthy of it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Continues in [Chapter 12: Daytime Confession ](http://archiveofourown.org/works/4325103/chapters/9841283)


	6. We're Brothers!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> **Prompt by** : Anon  
>  **Prompt** : AU of Sabo and Lu meeting the Whitebeards and so begins a (prank?) war over Ace?  
>  **Rating** : G  
>  **Warnings** : None  
>  **Tags** : Canon Divergence, Brothers, Prank War, ASL Brothers, Whitebeard Pirates, Ace, Marco, Thatch, Vista, Sanji, Luffy, Sabo  
> Originally posted [here](http://silmil-of-erebor.tumblr.com/post/123890140329/uhm-so-i-saw-youre-open-to-prompts-and-i-read-your).

It had started, quite literally, with a bang. A bang, and Luffy’s ship had been landing, or rather, crashing into the sea, right next to the Moby Dick. Ace had almost burned it down reflexively, but he’d noticed the flag moments before he released his Fire Fist attack, and his flames extinguished instantaneously. 

He’d immediately been overjoyed by the prospect of meeting his little brother again, so without any explanations whatsoever, he’d jumped down on the smaller ship’s deck and had been just about to ask the brat what he was doing there, when he saw-

Sabo. Taller now, with longer hair and a scarred face, yes, but Sabo. Alive. And well. And _alive_. 

Ace himself had almost broken down crying, which in turn made Luffy dissolve into sobs for what Sabo claimed was the tenth time, but god, _Sabo_ was there, laughing at Luffy and clapping Ace on the shoulder, and he was everything he’d ever been before and how could Ace _not_ pull him close, how could he _not_ hiss in his year what an idiot he’d been, how could he _not_ hold him close and laugh and cry like he’d never before?

Then, predictably, there had been a party: there was no way his family would miss an occasion for one, so they’d dragged the Strawhats onboard and proceeded to stuff them full with good food and great booze. 

“Ace, you have to join my crew, too!” Luffy called after he’d finally taken the blasted chopsticks out of his mouth and, more disturbingly, his nose. 

“I have to what, again?” He raised an eyebrow and considered his little brother’s words one more time. “Wait, _too_?!” He looked boggle-eyed at Sabo, who shrugged at him with a look that said even he had no idea how it had happened. 

“The kid knows how to get what he wants,” he grinned, and then for added effect turned to Luffy: “Don’t you, _Captain_?” 

Ace wasn’t sure whether to laugh or call a doctor to look at Sabo’s head. Obviously whatever gave him that scar had fried his brain as well. But before he could do either of those, though, there was a rather territorial hand on his shoulder and someone else took the opportunity to answer in his place.

“Take it easy there, eh,” Marco drawled beside his ear. “Ace isn’t going anywhere.”

“He’s going with us, he’s our brother,” Luffy said like it was a foregone conclusion. 

“You’re not the only ones who can make that claim,” Jozu stepped on his other side, and then there were Thatch and Vista and Sabo was narrowing his eyes and Luffy was saying they were _wrong_ , and-

And they were _fighting_ over him. Ace needed a moment to come to turns with this. They wanted him, both of those sides, and they were snarking and snarling at each other over who could have him. It was a bit disconcerting, feeling like a prize to be won, but… He’d never considered he could be wanted like this, before. 

The novelty of it was still settling in when the first punch was thrown, and it very quickly digressed into a brawl. And it only got worse from there.

The Sunny refused to leave the Moby Dick’s side, sailing close enough for Luffy to yell at Ace to _come home already_. Marco took to standing in the crow’s nest and throwing all matter of small objects at the kid’s wide opened mouth with frightening accuracy. Sabo retaliated by sneaking into their ship and writing _“NESTING , STAY OUT!”_ on Marco’s door in bright yellow paint. This was answered by Vista feeding Luffy something that had him turning tomato red and all but breathing fire, which the Strawhat cook answered by chucking all the sake on the Moby overboard. 

Then, it _escalated_. 

Where Ace had been strangely thrilled and flattered to have them fight over him with such enthusiasm in the beginning, he soon found himself regretting not having nipped it in the bud when he had the chance. When, one day, Thatch walked out on the deck with pink hair and murder in his eyes, Ace considered just grabbing his old crew and making a run for it. It might make his life infinitely easier. And, who knew, if the Whitebeard and Strawhat crews managed to destroy each other with this ridiculous war, that would make his becoming the Pirate King just that much more possible.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Continues in [Chapter 9: Spades in Spades](http://archiveofourown.org/works/4325103/chapters/9824775)


	7. Raining Frustration

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> **Prompt by** : [lollesblog](http://lollesblog.tumblr.com/)  
>  **Prompt** : ace in the rain  
>  **Rating** : T  
>  **Warnings** : PDA  
>  **Tags** : Canon Compliant, Rain, a little UST, Whitebeard Pirates, Ace, Marco, MarcoAce  
> Originally posted [here](http://silmil-of-erebor.tumblr.com/post/123952200724/ace-in-the-rain).

Ace was very good at being hot while doing a number of pointedly _not_ erotic things. 

Unlike most people, that didn’t include eating, because Ace ate like a starving man even an hour after breakfast. It was frankly a bit disturbing seeing him inhale everything in sight, and then there were the narcolepsy episodes which often ended with the whole contents of his dish in his face and hair. 

No, Ace did _not_ suck on his fork seductively or lick his fingers, and he most _certainly_ did not fellate his ice-creams. That was all well and good for Marco, because at least mealtimes were safe. 

The rest of the day, however, _wasn’t_.

He’d walk out on deck and see him and Jozu arm wrestling, Ace’s muscles bulging, sweat running down his face and a competitive yet manic grin stretching over it, and he would have to return below deck to compose himself. 

Then, Ace would decide to help with the rigging, and his entire body would ripple as he climbed, muscle memory helping him keep himself safe on the ropes while the wind swept his hair and reddened his cheeks. 

Or he would crash into their enemies’ ships like a wildfire and reduce it to smoldering planks of wood, then just casually return home on his skiff with not a hair out of place.

Basically, since they had started this little _thing_ of theirs, Ace had become an overwhelming distraction. Not that he hadn’t been before mind you, but now, when Marco knew exactly what he would be doing to him that night, when he had an entire day of frustration to plan how to make him _scream_ , he was even more of one than he had ever been. 

But when one day, one vary overcast and rainy day, Ace had decided that sparring with Speed Jiru was the best idea ever, Marco was finding it hard to keep his eyes off of him. 

The way his soaked hair was plastered down, strands of it falling into his eyes, the way his entire body was soaked and skin, hair and tattoo glistened equally in the daylight, the way his sodden shorts clung to his legs, the way he jumped all over the ship, throwing water every-which way…

And, when they finally put an end to it, when Ace laughed, rolled his shoulders and for some unfathomable reason released a burst of flame that had all the water on his body evaporating in a cloud of mist and making it appear as if he was literally _smoking_ …

Marco felt his self-restraint break with a snap so sudden and loud, he was certain it had echoed throughout the entire ship. 

And within moments, he was across the deck, he had his hands on wet-slicked warm skin, he was pressing Ace back against the main mast, and he had his mouth on his, harsh and hungry and wild, pressing him open and plunging in like he was looking for a treasure. 

When he finally released him, Ace was breathless and dazed, holding onto Marco’s shirt like it was the only thing keeping him standing, and he was looking up at him with dilated pupils and bright eyes. 

He ignored all the suggestive whistling from the crew, because really, they were all tactless assholes anyway, and tried very, very hard not to think of all the teasing that was going to come out of this. And as he pressed his body against Ace’s close enough to have the younger man groaning, he growled in his face:

“You fucking _tease_.”

“For you, always,” Ace parried back cheekily, and as Marco shut him up with another kiss and the catcalls rose in volume again, the younger man made sure to give the rest of the Whitebeards a show to remember (Marco had to fight to retain some of his dignity by dragging Ace below deck the moment clothes started being shed).


	8. Meet the Rest

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> **Prompt by** : [lunarshores](http://tmblr.co/m_bVMXC8bSz2j9VRzLXw0Xw)  
>  **Prompt** : Ace/Marco: Introducing Marco to Garp  
>  **Rating** : T  
>  **Warnings** : Violence  
>  **Tags** : Modern AU, Meeting the Family, Engagements, Luffy, Sabo, Garp, Ace, Marco, MarcoAce  
>  **Sequel to** [Chapter 4: Meet the Whitebeards](http://archiveofourown.org/works/4325103/chapters/9807567)  
>  Originally posted [here](http://silmil-of-erebor.tumblr.com/post/123965963639/if-youll-still-allow-me-another-how-about).

Close to a year after Ace finally met Marco’s family and they got on like a house on fire, Marco finally proposed to him. It was the moment Ace decided maybe the older man should also get to meet _his_ family, so he’d have the chance to back out of it before anything overly binding was signed.

Introducing Marco to Luffy went something like this:

“Hey, Luffy! This is Marco, we’re getting married!”

“WAAAAAH that’s so COOL! He looks like a pineapple! Ace, CAN I MARRY A PINEAPPLE?”

It was later agreed that they should’ve waited for the brat to get off of his sugar high before they sprung the news.

Introducing Marco to Sabo had been completely unplanned. Not that Ace didn’t _want_ to introduce them, but Sabo had been all over the place in the last couple of years and they didn’t check in on each other that often anymore. 

So, when the two of them had been out on a date and stumbled on his brother, who was apparently back in town, Ace had grabbed his fiancé by the wrist and dragged him over, all whilst waving his right hand to show off the shiny ring on it. 

“Hey, Sabo, guess what I’m doing!”

Sabo, who’d been minding his own business immediately dropped it and focused on them, and his eyebrows climbed impressively high at the sight of the deep red gem.

“Getting married, apparently,” he checked Ace’s face to confirm his guess and then his eyes snapped to Marco, who stoically withstood his measuring gaze. “This is where I threaten to claw your eyes off of your face if you break my brother’s heart,” he said very conversationally, at which Marco just quirked the side of his mouth.

“Consider me threatened,” he agreed, and the rest was history.

Introducing Marco to Garp was something Ace kept trying to convince himself _wasn’t_ necessary and he could just skip altogether. Unfortunately fate was a cruel bitch who laughed upon self-delusion, and Garp had never grown out of the habit of making surprise visits to his grandsons even after they’d all found their own places and sworn off of being related to him.

So when one morning, sleep ruffled and covered with hickeys all the way down to the hem of his pants (and below), Ace had wandered into his kitchen with Marco on his tail, Garp had been chewing on something crunchy from his place on the kitchen table. What followed had been a lot of screaming,

_(“WHO TOLD YOU YOU CAN GET MARRIED WITHOUT TELLING ME? WHAT’S MORE, WHO TOLD YOU YOU CAN MARRY SOMEONE WHO’S NOT A MARINE? WHAT HAPPENED TO THAT GOOD BOY I INTRODUCED YOU TO!?”  
_

_“FOR THE MILLIONTH TIME, I AM NOT FUCKING MARRYING SMOKER YOU DAMN MEDDLING OLD FART, NOW LEAVE MY HOUSE!”  
_

_“CANCEL THE WEDDING YOU’RE SWEARING CELIBACY AND JOINING THE MARINES!”  
_

_“LIKE FUCK I AM!”  
_

_“YOU DARE SPEAK TO ME LIKE THAT, YOU UNGRATEFUL BRAT!?”  
_

_“YEAH, SO WHAT IF I DO???”)_

and Ace getting his ass kicked ten ways to Sunday when Garp decided to let his fists do the talking for him. Marco had the misfortune of trying to step in at one point, and once Garp was sufficiently satisfied with how concussed Ace was, he’d turned on him.

Two hours later Garp was collapsed into his food on the kitchen table and snoring, while the two of them were in the bathroom making use of Ace’s first aid kit. Ace himself was still seeing double and trying not to sway in place while Marco, with a bag of frozen peas secured over one black eye like an eyepatch, was patching up the side of his head. 

“That went better than I thought it would,” Ace almost-slurred as he tried to look at Marco’s face without turning his head. He had to blink a lot before he managed to get his eyes to focus.

“ _Did it_?” Marco’s voice was incredulous, but there was a look on his features that said he was uncertain whether to find this deeply disturbing or very amusing. 

“Yep,” Ace grinned through the sting of antiseptic. “He _likes_ you!” He declared happily.

“I’ll just assume that’s the head injury talking, eh,” Marco responded unconvinced, and for some reason Ace found that very, _very_ funny.

Ace didn’t get around to introducing Marco to Dadan before the wedding, but he figured there should be _at least_ one surprise on the faithful day, or what _fun_ would it be?


	9. Spades in Spades

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> **Prompt by** : Anon  
>  **Prompt** : Spade Pirates kidnapping their captain cause ya know technically he's THEIR captain so why are these two crews fighting over him  
>  **Rating** : G  
>  **Warnings** : None  
>  **Tags** : Canon Divergence, Kidnapping, Spade Pirates, Ace  
>  **Sequel to** [Chapter 6: We're Brothers!](http://archiveofourown.org/works/4325103/chapters/9807978)  
>  Originally posted [here](http://silmil-of-erebor.tumblr.com/post/123970902269/hello-i-was-the-previous-anon-with-the-prompt-and).

When Ace had considered grabbing the Spades and getting the fuck out of dodge, _this_ hadn’t been exactly the scenario he’d had in mind. 

“Where did you even _get_ the seastone chains?” He whined as he tried to pick the lock by touch where his hands were tied together behind his back. It might be annoying, but he was getting there. Really, tying his hands _together_? Hadn’t he thought them anything at all?

“Seastone chains are a necessity when you’re in the New World, Captain,” his white-hatted first mate (ex-first mate? future-first mate? soon-to-be-dead first mate?) answered like there was nothing wrong with the situation.

There was _everything_ wrong with the situation. Not only had Ace somehow become the reason the Whitebeard and Strawhat pirates were locked in a deadly prank-war-that-might-as-well-be-an-actual-war, but now he was being honest to god _kidnapped_ by his old crew who had decided to just grab the opportunity and run with it. 

Because, apparently, he was _their_ captain and the rest could go fuck them selves if they thought they had a claim over Ace.

What. The actual. Fuck?

“What happened to the world hating me?” He asked of no one in particular, as he bumped the back of his head against the side of the ship. This was quickly changing from ridiculous to _completely badshit insane_. 

“Tell me who said that to you, Capt’n, and I’m a chop their head off,” one of the crewmates scurrying around the ship stopped to glower dangerously. 

“Too many to list,” Ace deadpanned, rolled his eyes and then turned to the first mate who was currently steering the stolen vessel merrily. “Why don’t you just unchain me and get back to the Moby, before Pops catches up to you and slaps you around for being dumbasses?” He asked with his most winning grin.

“Tough luck, Captain,” his rebellious first mate replied and kept making small corrections to their course.

“Ok,” Ace growled in return. “How about you unchain me before I break out of these and fry your collective ass _myself_?” 

He laughed. The son of a bitch _laughed_ at him. 

Oh, the first thing Ace was doing after he picked the lock, was burning his hat off of his head. Then his hair and eyebrows. And if he wasn’t feeling merciful, which he really _wasn’t_ right now, _all his clothes_. 

Then, he’d probably just re-steal the vessel and disappear for a year. He’d heard Alabasta was prospering now that the whole civil war thing was over with. Maybe he’d crash there, and if the two insane crews hadn’t torn each other apart by the time he was back, he’d go and knock some sense into them. 

Now, if he could just get the stupid seastone _off_ …

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Continues in [Chapter 15: In Chains (And Loving It) ](http://archiveofourown.org/works/4325103/chapters/9855095)


	10. In a Bed of Flowers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> **Prompt by** : [ rukia2378](http://rukia2378.tumblr.com)  
>  **Prompt** : Ace is Marco's secret admirer who leaves flowers on Marco's doorstep everyday cause he's to shy to confess his feelings. Until one day Marco finally catches him in the act!  
>  **Rating** : T  
>  **Warnings** : Angst (but with a happy ending), Depression, mentions of character death  
>  **Tags** : Modern AU, Flowers, Flower Language, Ace, Marco, MarcoAce  
> Originally posted [here](http://silmil-of-erebor.tumblr.com/post/123995125339/hi-ive-returned-with-another-prompt-if-want-to).

Moving out had been as much for Marco’s own sanity as anything else. He’d wanted to get his own place for a long time, but after Thatch’s death…

Well, a lot of things happened after Thatch’s death and he felt stupidly selfish for leaving Pops to deal with the backlash of it on his own, but he was aware enough that he knew he needed this. His days had been getting harder and darker, even though it took him longer to convince himself to get out of bed every morning. Watching all his brothers falling to pieces and not knowing what to do for them because he was too messed up himself had been killing him as surely as his own grief.

So he found his own place, and moved. It wasn’t too far and he visited often, but it was different and new.

It wasn’t better. It wasn’t getting better, and he soon realized that most of the reason he’d been able to drag himself out of bed at all had been to look after the rest of his brothers.

He forced himself to not become a recluse, he reached out to people, he even tried grief counseling, but it all had little effect. What little progress there was felt forced, and he missed his family dearly. But he had a stubborn streak a mile long, and now that he’d decided to fix himself before he went back, he wouldn’t back down. 

His apartment was mostly barren, empty of life. His therapist had said decorating might help, but when he looked through catalogs nothing seemed good enough.

Until, one day, he came back home to find a blue orchid lying in front of his door.  
It couldn’t be a coincidence, because the flower was put right in the middle of where a welcome mat would be, if he had one. It was very deliberately laid out for him. 

He was confused, until he saw a scrawled note on a small card under the flower. It read: _You can be blue, and still _____!_

The end was clearly a missing word. The game was the first thing in Marco’s life to genuinely pique his interest in a good while, so he took the flower and googled it as soon as he was inside. Orchids, apparently, meant strength, beauty, elegance. Marco felt strangely flattered. It didn’t slip his attention that there was no mention of who the flower was from.

The next day there was a bright yellow and black pansy, with a note: _You are in my ______!_ Marco filled out the word _memory_ after a quick search on the internet, and bought a vase. 

It continued for weeks. Exactly one flower on his doorstep, with a note missing a word or phrase he would need to fill in, and messages that varied from sweet to uplifting. 

Marco found it difficult to keep his mind from running itself in circles over the oddity of it, but it was a good kind of oddity, like a lighthearted flirtation – enough to flatter and raise the spirits, but it felt like it wasn’t going anywhere. The messages didn’t get more suggestive with time and the person leaving them there didn’t show themselves. 

Three weeks later, Marco’s apartment was ripe with color. He now owned more vases than chairs, and couldn’t look in any direction without seeing a flower of some kind. They had all been different, the sender never once repeating themselves. Marco stupidly wondered if they had a list they kept in order to pick something new every time.

The whole thing was harmless, really, and Marco allowed it to occupy his thoughts, because it was better than the alternatives. When he went to sleep at night, his eyes rested on the lily of the valley with a note of _There is always a way to return to happiness!_ rested against the vase on his nightstand. Its sweet smell was the first thing that greeted him in the morning. 

He didn’t actively try to catch the person leaving the flowers. It felt like, if he did, this one thing that was making his days brighter would end and Marco didn’t think he was ready for that. Instead he picked the flowers up, bought newer vases, sometimes even ones to suit the newest addition if he could find any, and looked up how to care for them. He pulled open the curtains in every room to let them have light, and never slept in too late so that he could change the water. 

The first orchid wilted, of course, but Marco kept the card and put the new daily gift – a white heather that promised: _All your wishes will come true!_ in its place. He didn’t usually lose more than one flower a day, but at one point he stopped buying new vases in lieu of arranging them together in small bouquets in the ones he already had. 

It couldn’t last forever, though, and one Tuesday Marco got off of work early, only to step out of his elevator to find a young man staring at him from where he was crouching in front of his door, a bright pink azalea in his hands and a card already placed on the ground. Marco blinked at him in shock, noticing the panicked way the man glanced from him, to the elevator door he was blocking, to the staircase in quick succession. 

Trying not to scare him into bolting, Marco smiled and asked, “What does it mean?”

“Uh,” the man stood up and scratched the back of his head a little awkwardly, before looking down at the flower. “Take care of yourself for me,” he mumbled, before looking up through his lashes like he was trying to hide behind them. 

Warmth flowed through Marco’s chest, and he took a step closer, extending his hand for the flower. The man smiled a little more reassured, and offered the flower adding the small card as an afterthought. 

“You must live nearby,” he considered as he sniffed at the pink petals. “Perhaps you can tell me where so I can return the favor?” He could practically see the confidence building in the other man with every moment, and the smile he received at that was blinding.

“Just below you, actually. I saw you when you were moving in, and I thought, well,” he looked away a little. “You looked like you could use some cheering up,” his eyes traveled to the flower in Marco’s hand, before he snapped to attention and looked up at him again. “My name’s Ace, by the way.”

“I’m Marco,” he offered, and pulled his keys out. “Do you have time for some coffee, Ace?”

The flowers never stopped arriving, only now Ace stopped sneaking them in when Marco was at work, and started drinking a lot of coffee.


	11. Faltering Footsteps

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> **Prompt by** : [ fantwirls](http://fantwirls.tumblr.com/)  
>  **Prompt** : After Doffy's fall, Koala has to drag Sabo away from Luffy  
>  **Rating** : T  
>  **Warnings** : Angst, Spoilers, mentions of character death  
>  **Tags** : Canon Compliant, Chapter 792 coda, Sabo, Koala, SaboAla, but only if want it to be  
> Originally posted [here](http://silmil-of-erebor.tumblr.com/post/124041440329/prompt-after-doffys-fall-koala-has-to-drag-sabo).

_‘Don’t tell my little brother.’_

It still rang in his ears, loud and devastating. He’d never gotten to hear Ace’s voice when he grew up, so he couldn’t help but hear it in the one from their childhood, as if his clearest memories of Ace had decided to turn on him to recreate this horror. 

He hated himself for not being there, for being too deep in his mission at the time to know what was happening in the world. On one of his worst days he’d screamed at Dragon for purposefully sending him away right then only so that he wouldn’t do something rash.

He didn’t _believe_ that, not really, but Ace’s death had broken him open for a while. He rarely stopped thinking about the tattoo on his brother’s arm – such an obvious memento for anyone who knew the way Sabo had signed his last letter. It tore at him, knowing that Ace had spent every day with the evidence of their bond seared on his skin, where Sabo had never even built up the courage to show himself before his eyes until it was too late.

He’d been so afraid when he went to see Luffy, because what if the kid blamed him? It wouldn’t be unfounded, it wouldn’t be unfair. But Sabo already blamed himself enough, and having Luffy’s scorn on top of thatwould have been unbearable. But after he was too late for Ace, he’d decided to grab the very next opportunity to meet his little brother that presented itself. 

And he had, and Luffy had been so happy that he wouldn’t stop sobbing like the crybaby he’d always been, and Sabo had been so _relieved_ , so _very_ relieved that he’d shed some tears of his own (not that he’d ever admit that to Koala). 

Now… now that it was over he needed to go and see Luffy, he needed to make sure his little brother was ok, that he would be looked after as he should be. His feet took him over the destruction, closer and closer to where the main battle had taken place. He could already hear the relieved cries of what must have been the closest spectators. Just a few more steps and he’d be right there, he’d be able to see his brother, to be sure he was alright, to…

“The underground’s the other way around, Sabo-kun,” the voice startled him and he felt his skin crawling with flames in response to his alarm, but as he turned and confirmed it was only Koala there, he made the fire retreat. 

“Yeah, I just need to-“

“You, and Hack, and I, only need to get to the ship and deliver the list to Dragon-san,” she said pointedly, advancing on him with every word. “Let’s go!”

“Luffy is-“

“Going to be just fine, he’s this country’s savior, they’ll look after him,” she put a hand on his arm and started pulling him away. There was a commotion from the direction he’d been heading, where Luffy was…

“I’m-“

She rounded on Sabo so suddenly he almost jumped back.

“The Chief of Staff of the Revolutionary Army, or did you happen to forget that?” She got right into his face, fuming. “Seriously, if you’re so set on him why don’t you just quit and go join his crew, he’d be overjoyed, and Dragon-san can actually appoint someone who will do his job!”

“Koala-“

“Don’t! He’s fine! He’s safe! You have a responsibility, why do you keep forgetting that?” There was, Sabo suddenly realized, hurt in her eyes. “I understand that family is important, but… all of us, Sabo, our cause… Does it mean so little to you?”

Sabo felt the bitter tendrils of shame wrap around his heart, and pushed down the desire to turn around and rush to Luffy’s side. She was right – he’d be fine, everything was done now and there was virtually no one left on Dressrosa land who would wish him harm. Damn, but Burgess’s words had really hit a nerve, hadn’t they?

“You’re right,” he said, taking both her hands in his own. “you’re important, our cause is important,” he said and bowed his head. “Thanks for reminding me,” he offered weakly. 

“Let’s just go,” Koala huffed and pulled her hands free, but moments later grabbed his own in one of hers. “Hack’s waiting by the ship.”

“Yeah,” Sabo followed and hoped he’d see Luffy soon. But until then, he had a job to do. “Let’s go.”


	12. Daytime Confession

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> **Prompt by** : Anon  
>  **Prompt** : Marco/Ace angst about the crew finding out  
>  **Rating** : T  
>  **Warnings** : Angst  
>  **Tags** : Canon Compliant, Confessions, Whitebeard Pirates, Ace, Marco, MarcoAce  
>  **Sequel of** [Chapter 5: Nighttime Disturbance ](http://archiveofourown.org/works/4325103/chapters/9807717)  
>  Originally posted [here](http://silmil-of-erebor.tumblr.com/post/124053589619/okay-i-dont-know-if-youre-still-taking-prompts).

“So, why _do_ you hate his guts so much?” 

In the end it was Blamenco who asked it, after Ace’s mood soured spectacularly in the middle of Thatch’s story. They’d all noticed, of course, that he turned quiet and angry every time Roger came up in a conversation, but no one had ever mentioned it before. Ace wondered if it was planned out, he thought it might be. 

He’d just been promoted to Commander about a week ago, and now that the general commotion over it had died down a bit, the rest of the commanders had dragged him into one of the conference cabins to have a kind of initiation party. 

It had begun with the normal shenanigans, lots of food but surprisingly little booze, and soon they’d moved on to telling preposterous stories that, now that Ace had _seen_ the New World, he actually believed. Of course, he should have expected that a story involving _him_ would come up at some point, but hearing the bastard’s name on a night that was supposed to be about him and his new family was really grating on his nerves.

Now they were all looking at him, the elephant in the room that was finally being addressed. 15 pairs of eyes focused on his anger and he suddenly found himself at a loss for words. If he told them, if he said the truth, if he exposed the darkness that lurked under his skin, what would they do? Would they push him away, abandon him? Would they turn their backs, even if they called him their brother now?

They _should_. He was a monster and they didn’t deserve being tied down to a stain like him. He should just come out and admit to it so that they would have the reason they might need to cast him aside. 

“Because-“ he tried to push the rest of the words out of his mouth, to be honest to them for _one damn time_ in his life, but fear froze him more efficiently than anything ever had. He found the sounds stuck in his throat, cold shivers running down his back. 

They were his brothers, his _family_ , and even if _Pops_ hadn’t thrown him overboard for his blood, even if Pops _wouldn’t_ let them kill him, would he be able to do this if they hated him? If he could feel the disdain in their gazes every time he passed them on the deck, if he couldn’t know if he could count on them to have his back, because maybe they’d be happier to see him killed?

He swallowed and tried again, but his heart was a lump in his throat and no words could break through it. He clenched his eyes closed, tried to will himself to speak, but the terror of _losing this_ was far too strong.

Then an arm slipped over his shoulders, and strong fingers rubbed the shivers away from his skin like they had so many times before. Marco pulled him tighter to his side, offering warmth and comfort that Ace _shouldn’t_ be craving this much because _he didn’t deserve it_ , but…

But Marco didn’t _know_ that, and he never would unless Ace told him. And he should, because he was just taking advantage of Marco’s kindness like this, and he needed to make the older man aware of _exactly_ why he shouldn’t be offering it. 

He took a breath, fighting against the fear bubbling in his veins, and spoke, to everyone, for Marco:

“Because he’s my father.”

Absolute silence fell over the room, and Ace  couldn’t look up into their faces for fear of what he would find there, but he couldn’t bear the complete stillness of it. So he spoke, and with every word it just kept coming, things he’d never told anyone, things he’d never thought he would.

“Because my name is Gol D. Ace and that bastard gave it to me even though he never once held me. Because he got my mother pregnant and then didn’t have the fucking _decency_ to stick around and take care of her. Because she died giving birth to me after he left her alone, because he left me alone before I even knew what it meant not to be. Because he started this age of pirates and went and fucking got himself executed before he could take responsibility for it. Because I have demon blood running through my veins and it’s all his fault, all of it, and I hate him-“

His voice broke wetly, tears running down his cheeks, and he bent down, drawing his knees up to hide in them. This was pitiful, disgraceful, breaking down in front of his family – was he their family anymore? – after what he’d just confessed, like it was their responsibility to listen to his whining, like they weren’t completely entitled to hate his guts right about now.

He tried to hold back his sobs, but the dam had broken now, for once outside the bed he shared with Marco, and _oh god_ , now Marco knew and he would never hold him like that again, he’d never run his fingers through his hair to comfort him, he’d never care again and whisper how _it will be alright_ , he’d never…

There was the soft pressure of lips pressed against the back of his bowed head, and the one arm that had been wrapped around him turned into two, dragging him close to a very familiar chest, warmth and comfort, and it was the last thing he expected, so the suddenness of it snapped him out of his head enough to hear the soft mumbled _‘it’s ok, you’re ok, it’s going to be alright’_ , whispered into his hair like it was every night that he woke up sobbing, like Marco hadn’t even heard, or like…

Like it didn’t matter that he had. 

“Well,” Blamenco offered once Ace had finally calmed down enough to take measured breaths. “I guess, if anyone has a right to hate him, it’d be you.”

Murmured words of agreement circled around the room, and Ace finally found the strength to lift his gaze, to see what was on their faces, and more importantly what _wasn’t_. There _wasn’t_ hate, there _wasn’t_ anger or disgust. There was maybe a little pity, and there was understanding and _acceptance_. 

“Hey, I still have that bottle of rum I stole from his ship all those years ago,” Thatch ventured, grinning at Ace all of a sudden. “You wanna throw it overboard, or spill it into a fire or something?”

And as more and more of his brothers agreed how that was a wonderful idea, that Ace should really do the honors, and the older ones wondered if they had anything left from Roger’s crew themselves to offer to the spiteful pyre, Marco held him close and kissed his temple softly, and promised one more time,

“Everything will be alright, eh.”

And for the first time, Ace maybe felt like he could believe him.


	13. The Moment I Said It

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> **Prompt by** : [lollesblog](http://lollesblog.tumblr.com/)  
>  **Prompt** : marco saying something which hurts ace ?? angst?  
>  **Rating** : T  
>  **Warnings** : Angst, mentions of character death  
>  **Tags** : Modern AU, Ace, Marco, MarcoAce  
> Originally posted [here](http://silmil-of-erebor.tumblr.com/post/124066261484/so-if-you-dont-have-too-many-prompts-here-is).

The moment the words were out of his mouth, Marco felt a sharp sting of regret right in his chest. He wished so very hard that he could pluck the words from the air and make them disappear, make it so that they wouldn’t reach Ace, that he wouldn’t know the horrible things Marco could say when he was truly riled up.

But he couldn’t, and as he stood there, shocked by what had left his own mouth, he got a front seat view of Ace’s face crumbling so completely, his features scrunching up in such absolute despair and pain, that he thought stabbing himself would’ve been less painful than knowing how he’s just hurt the man he loved.

Then in an instant, Ace’s face was clear of the devastation, and a look of such rage overtook him that for one moment Marco genuinely thought he’d get punched in the face. He deserved it, there was no question about that, but this was the first time Ace had ever looked at him with a look that said he honestly wanted to hurt him. 

Aced released an inhuman sound, snarling and threatening and bared his teeth at Marco, and his entire form shook with either rage or the effort it took him not to deck him with all his strength. Then, without a word, he pushed by Marco, shoved their shoulders together violently, and his footsteps echoed like gunshots all the way to the bedroom, before he shut the door closed with such force that Marco felt it rattle his very bones. 

Marco collapsed on the couch, head in his hands. Ever since the debacle with Teach and Thatch’s death things had been going to shit. Tension had been building in their family, and he’d always known something would finally snap, but, god, he’d never thought it’d be him. If Teach ended up costing him Ace as well, he would find the son of a bitch and gut him with his own two hands.

But no, if Ace left now, it would be Marco’s own fault. Those words had been his own, and even though he himself didn’t believe them, he’d been the one to say them and that… 

He was the worst, really. For that one moment before retreating into anger Ace had looked so completely broken, hearing that coming from Marco’s very lips had damaged something deep inside and the man couldn’t even begin to think how to apologize for it. He didn’t think he had the right to beg for forgiveness. 

The bedroom door crashed open in the early hours of the morning, and Marco expected to see Ace dragging his suitcase behind, completely done with the entire thing. 

He wasn’t, but the look on his face was vicious. 

“That was a fucking shit thing to say,” he said without even looking at Marco, like he couldn’t bear facing him. 

“I know, I…” he swallowed his stupid pride and tried. “I’m sorry, I know how mu-“

“Spare me!” Ace bit off from where he was putting on his shoes, back to him. “I don’t want to hear it.” 

Marco rubbed his hands over his face and cringed at the sound of the car keys jingling and the door opening.

“Wait, just-“ he rushed to his feet and saw the younger man’s back in the doorway. Ace didn’t turn, didn’t as much as acknowledge him in any way other than to stop, hand still on the doorknob. Marco took a deep breath, and asked. “Will you come back?”

There was a snort, harsh and loud in the silence of the morning. “I haven’t decided yet,” Ace finally said and the sound of the door shutting behind him seemed so very final that tears blurred the corners of Marco’s eyes.

How would he ever be able to fix this?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Continues in [Chapter 23: Lead in Your Eyelids ](http://archiveofourown.org/works/4325103/chapters/9907880)


	14. Sticky and Sweet

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> **Prompt by** : [yozoraarashi](http://yozoraarashi.tumblr.com/)  
>  **Prompt** : Ace/Marco: chocolate  
>  **Rating** : T  
>  **Warnings** : None  
>  **Tags** : Modern AU, Domesticity, Established Relationship, Chocolate, Dating, Overwhelming Fluff, Ace, Marco, MarcoAce  
> Originally posted [here](http://silmil-of-erebor.tumblr.com/post/124073431964/marco-ace-chocolate).

Marco still found it hard to believe that even after years of being together, after sharing their space non-stop, they hadn’t yet gotten tired of each other. Ace still greeted him with a kiss, sometimes very deliberately more passionate than a simple hello kiss should be; he still insisted they date every once in a while, and it would be as magical as it had been in the beginning, if in a different way.

Where there had been the thrill of discovery, of sitting across a person Marco knew little about, and trying to read everything that he was in the smallest movements, now there was intimacy and a sense of settled contentment that made him look very much forward to the time they spent together.

Tonight was like that, and Ace had managed to talk one of Luffy’s friends into cooking them a rather impressive meal. Dinner had been great, even if it wasn’t in a high-class restaurant and the neighbor across had started playing some rather strange music with their windows wide opened half-way through.

But it was all the more brilliant for these little inconsistencies, because they made it a date to remember. 

Now they were stretched over the couch with the TV playing in the background and dessert being shared. Or smeared all over Marco’s mouth.

“Either your aim’s really bad,” he mumbled around the chocolate Ace had finally fed him, “or you have some ulterior motive for smearing that all over me, eh.”

From his place straddling Marco’s waist, Ace grinned unrepentantly. 

“What ulterior motive could I possibly have?” He asked, as he dove down to lick at the older man’s chocolate-covered lips, pulling the lower one in his mouth to suck on, before diving in for a proper, if rather sticky, kiss. 

“Mmmm, Sanji’s chocolates really are the best,” he grinned and popped one in his own mouth, letting it melt on his tongue and groaning obscenely. Really, dessert was the only food Ace didn’t eat like it would disappear from the face of the planet if he didn’t digest it _right now_ , so it was the only food that he showed such vocal appreciation for, and Marco felt cheated for not getting to share in his piece like Ace had done already.

He slipped his hands up under the man’s opened shirt running his fingers right over the most sensitive places that had Ace shifting over him and humming with appreciation. 

When his partner bit the side of the next chocolate and bend down to present it to his lips, Marco made a point of just barely brushing his own mouth against the other man’s, teasing and promising him everything he wanted, before he bit off half of the treat and backed away, smirking in satisfaction at the look of absolute disappointment on Ace’s face. 

“Maybe we should have him over for breakfast Sunday,” Marco pretended to continue their conversation. 

“Only if we kick him out the door the moment he’s done cooking,” Ace chewed on his chocolate happily. “Because Sunday’s your day off, and I hear it's gonna be very hot.”

“You do?” Marco raised an eyebrow at the non sequitur.

“Oh yeah,” Ace grinned around his new chocolate. “Cause I plan on not wearing any clothes _all day_.”

As he pulled the laughing man for another chocolate-flavored kiss, Marco felt his chest swell with pure joy and wondered what he’d done to deserve his happy ending.


	15. In Chains (And Loving It)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> **Prompt by** : Anon  
>  **Prompt** : Sabo and Luffy, and maybe even the Whitebeard Pirates, finding out that Ace and Marco are together? It would be really hilarious in that "We're Brothers" verse  
>  **Rating** : T  
>  **Warnings** : None  
>  **Tags** : Canon Divergence, Conflict Resolution, Coming Out, Whitebeard Pirates, ASL Brothers, Spade Pirates, Thatch, Whitebeard, Luffy, Sabo, Jozu, Namur, Ace, Marco, MarcoAce  
>  **Sequel of** [Chapter 9: Spades in Spades](http://archiveofourown.org/works/4325103/chapters/9824775)  
>  Originally posted [here](http://silmil-of-erebor.tumblr.com/post/124122538634/how-about-sabo-and-luffy-and-maybe-even-the).

He never got around to heading towards Alabasta. 

Because, naturally, not five minutes before he’d finally be able to break out of the stupid chains Marco appeared, kicked everyone around the ship for a bit, got the key and dropped it in Ace’s lap, all without even switching back from his phoenix form.

If nothing else, the man was efficient. 

“I swear to god, if you’re here to also kidnap me and chain me to your bed…” Ace began with exasperation, but the more he thought about the prospect, the more it actually felt like his best option so far. 

The big blue flaming bird smirked at him. He still hadn’t figured out how Marco did that. It seemed to involve muscles that form shouldn’t _have_.

“As tempting as the offer might be, and believe me, it’s _very_ tempting,” Marco shot Ace a lascivious look. “No, I’m here to get you back to the Moby ‘cause Pops was getting restless, eh.” 

“Romance is dead,” Ace declared as he settled himself on Marco’s back and wrapped his hands around the bird’s neck. “And here I was considering coming without a fight,” he grinned into the flames on the side of the long neck as they took off towards their home. “Think it’s about time I end this lunacy?”

“It was fun while it lasted,” Marco answered as the world fell away to nothing but the sky and the sea around them.

When Ace’s booths finally hit the deck of the Moby Dick, the first thing he did was to apologize to Pops for the mess, because really his old crew should have _known_ better, and the second was to smack Thatch who was very clearly planning the new prank. It seemed to involve a lot of rope and some of that itching powder he’d gotten his hands on a few islands ago.

He hadn’t even finished explaining to Thatch exactly why he wasn’t, indeed, a price to be won, and _if you fucking do that to my brother one more time I’ll skin you_ , when the sound of stretching rubber reverberated over the ship, and Luffy came crashing into the main mast, slipping down the sturdy wood, and plopping down on the deck. Sabo jumped over the side of the ship in short succession, and managed to get his captain back on his feet. Then, he turned to the Whitebeard crew.

“You didn’t manage to keep him safe, so you don’t get to have him,” he declared with the utmost seriousness. Ace facepalmed. 

Jozu was snapping back something competitive and Namur was saying how they’d gotten him _back_ , so it didn’t _count_ , and that. Was. _It_.

“You know what?” Ace bellowed over the commotion and they all quieted down when he shoved in between Sabo and Jozu, successfully putting himself right in the middle of the fighting crews. “Fuck you all!” 

There was a sense of shocked silence that settled over the Moby Dick, and Ace felt rather proud of himself all of a sudden. 

“I ain’t a piece of meat, you _bastards_ ,” he continued when there didn’t seem to be an interruption coming. “I get to decide where I stay, yeah?” He stared Luffy hard in the eye until his little brother nodded, then turned to the Whitebeards, receiving similar answers. “Good!” He grinned in triumph. “Oi, Marco,” he turned to the First Division Commander who just smirked at him expectantly. “Do you plan on turning Strawhat anytime soon?”

“Not in the foreseeable future, eh,” he said with an air of amusement. 

“There you have it, I’m sticking with him,” Ace said victoriously and turned a somewhat apologetic look to his two brothers. “It’d be fun to make an alliance, though.” 

With that he turned around, crossed half the deck, kissed Marco smack on the mouth in front of everybody, and dragged the older man below deck to _their_ cabin (still donning Sabo’s sign. Ace was trying to convince Marco to leave it there).

The sounds of about 50 minds exploding with the sudden unexpected reveal behind them only made Ace laugh and Marco press him into a wall in possessive satisfaction.

“About that whole plan concerning chaining you to my bed,” he hummed thoughtfully into Ace’s neck and the day was suddenly looking a million times better.


	16. Pleasant Surprises

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> **Prompt by** : [shockandlock](http://shockandlock.tumblr.com/)  
>  **Prompt** : Marco and Ace's first kiss?  
>  **Rating** : T  
>  **Warnings** : Slightly NSFW  
>  **Tags** : Canon Compliant, Kissing, Ace, Marco, MarcoAce  
> Originally posted [here](http://silmil-of-erebor.tumblr.com/post/124128461559/okay-so-for-the-prompts-thing-maybe-marco-and).

Marco tasted like ash. Like ash and the sea, and a little hint of the pudding they’d had for dessert that evening. It was a strange thing to note, when there was the more startling matter of Marco having pushed him up against the main mast and kissing him.

This… Ace had no idea where this was coming from. They were friends, yes, _obviously_ , considering Marco was one of the few mostly sane people around, and he for some reason took it upon himself to always care for everyone (Ace remembered Luffy and thought maybe it was a big brother thing), so Marco had been hovering around him for a while now. 

But he hadn’t really shown _this_ kind of interest, had he? Ace couldn’t _possibly_ be this oblivious could he? 

Well, weather this was a spur of the moment kind of thing, or Marco was just that good at keeping his feelings to himself, it didn’t change the fact that he was being pressed into the main massed and _devoured_. 

He didn’t think he’d ever been kissed like this. Marco had started slow and gentle, brushing lips against lips, pressing in just a little bit, then releasing the pressure to run a finger over Ace’s shock-slackened mouth. Then he’d dived in, like a starving man, one broad palm holding the back of Ace’s head in place, and the other one slipping down his body to hook two fingers in his belt. 

All the while his tongue had been tasting every bit of Ace’s mouth that was available to him, pressing in insistently and nipping at his lips just a little bit when he pulled out for a breath, before plunging back _in_ again. 

Ace felt dazed, a little bit drunk with the relentless assault, his knees almost growing weak when the older man dragged his tongue into his own mouth and sucked it with a fervor that was indecent. 

The hand on his belt migrated a little up, wrapping securely around his waist to hold him up when he got very noticeably unsteady, a leg shifting in between his own and pressing up just – oh – just _there_. Ace hadn’t realized he was hard, but fuck, Marco knew what he was doing.

Their mouths separated, but Marco never left his skin, licking down his jawline and sucking on his neck. The scrape of teeth over his pulse had Ace’s head falling back against the mast to give the other man more place to work (or maybe because he just couldn’t hold it up), and when a wet tongue ran all the way up his exposed throat, he keened low and desperate. 

Lips migrated to his ear next, biting at the shell and then sucking on the lobe. Shivers were running up and down Ace’s back, and he pressed forward with his hips, trying for some satisfaction against the persistent pressure there. 

“Come to bed with me,” came the low, hoarse whisper in his abused ear, and Ace couldn’t agree fast enough.


	17. Lasting Words

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> **Prompt by** : [officialsabo](http://officialsabo.tumblr.com/)  
>  **Prompt** : luffy telling sabo ace's last words  
>  **Rating** : T  
>  **Warnings** : Angst, mentions of character death  
>  **Tags** : Canon Divergence, Last Words, ASL Brothers, Ace, Luffy, Sabo  
> Originally posted [here](http://silmil-of-erebor.tumblr.com/post/124142439879/luffy-telling-sabo-aces-last-wordst).

“Well, I need to get going, now,” Sabo said when he was sufficiently satisfied with how Luffy was recovering. He’d managed to convince Dragon to let him stay back for a few days, needing to ensure his one remaining brother would be ok. Now that Luffy was awake and properly stuffed with food, he was fairly sure it was safe to leave the kid to his own devises, trusting that his crew would take care of him if the need arose. 

“You do?” Luffy asked, looking confused. “Where are you going?”

“Seriously, Luffy, were you not listening at all? I’m a part of the Revolutionary Army, I’ve got a job to do,” Sabo smiled with only a hint of exasperation. Ten years might have passed, but the kid was just as slow as he’d always been. 

“Ok, then,” Luffy gave him that very same face-splitting grin Sabo remembered from their past, and it warmed his heart to see it. It was shocking in how very few ways Luffy had changed during the last decade. 

Standing from his place next to Luffy’s side, Sabo stretched and put his hat on, heading towards the door.

“The way you’re heading, our paths will probably cross again soon,” he smiled at the pirate and laid one hand on the doorknob, before he stopped. 

Burgess’s words rang in his ears, still so very painful to think of even days later. He would never inflict this on Luffy – the kid didn’t need any more hurt in his life, not after he’d been there to see Ace die – but there was a part of it that Sabo thought might do him good to hear.

“Hey, earlier I got to beat up one of Blackbeard’s men,” he offered over one shoulder, unsure he could keep the pain off of his face if he faced Luffy. “And he had this big mouth on him and really wanted to tell me all about when they sold Ace over to the Marines.” He could feel Luffy’s eyes on him, his gaze suddenly heavy and laser-sharp, because this was about Ace and even the oblivious Luffy knew it mattered. Perhaps, Sabo figured, he’d grown only in the ways that mattered. “He never stopped thinking of you, Lu,” he offered, turning towards his brother with a smile on his face. “You were the first thing on his mind when he learned he’d be turned over. You were always important to him, I hope you know that.”

Luffy wasn’t looking at him anymore, his face downcast and his hat shadowing his eyes. For a moment Sabo thought he’d cry again, but the kid scrubbed at his face angrily and opened his mouth.

“When… when he was dying,” Luffy’s voice was low and pained and quiet and Sabo felt his stomach drop. That’s right; Iva had told him Ace had most literally died in Luffy’s arms. Had bringing this up really been a good idea? “He told me to tell everyone… But I never got to the big guy with the moustache or the others…” His hands were shaking where they were clenched into fists and Sabo could see how every word cost him. “And if he knew you were alive, he would’ve wanted you to know too.”

His heart felt heavy in his chest, weighed down with regret and grief for all he could’ve shared with Ace, but never would now that he’d been too late. Ace had died thinking Sabo was gone, and there was nothing that would ever make that alright. It was Sabo’s own mistake, one that he would never be able to set right – the least he could do was learn from it and not repeat it again. It was why he was here, before Luffy even though he didn’t yet think he deserved to be.

His attention got snapped back when Luffy took a deep breath and spoke again, raising his head and speaking through his tears.

“He said, ‘Thank you for loving me,’” he continued through sobs he was trying so hard to keep back, but they kept breaking out anyway. “And I know you always loved him too, so it was for you too, so here I’m telling you and doing what he asked me, right? He’d be happy I did, right?”

Sabo felt his own eyes stinging as he thought of all the anger Ace had felt at the world and how hard it had been to break through that to connect with him. He thought about the times he looked like he didn’t think himself worthy of being alive, not to mention being loved. He thought of all the pain in Ace’s life, all of it because of his father, and he thought about how that very father had been the reason for his death. 

But there was nothing he could do for Ace now. He could carry his will, and stand strong; he could do what Ace wasn’t here to do anymore.

He could be a brother to Luffy. 

He moved across the room as in a daze and reached out to pull him closer, wrapping himself around the smaller boy and holding strong. He could feel the kid’s tears soak through his shirt as rubbery arms circled around his back in return, and he held on until the boy stopped shaking.

“You did good,” he said, knowing how hard it must have been to relive those memories. “He’d be happy, Luffy. And he’d be so proud of you.”


	18. Crash into Oblivion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> **Prompt by** : [officialsabo](http://officialsabo.tumblr.com/)  
>  **Prompt** : luffy being sent to a universe where that universe's luffy died at marineford instead of ace and the first person he runs into is ace  
>  **Rating** : T  
>  **Warnings** : Angst, Mentions of Character Death, Depression, Suicidal Thoughts  
>  **Tags** : Canon Divergence, ASL Brothers, Whitebeard Pirates, Ace, Luffy  
> Originally posted [here](http://silmil-of-erebor.tumblr.com/post/124239022524/sorry-if-i-send-in-too-many-prompts-i-love).

Almost two years had passed since that day, and Ace still wasn’t sure how it was possible that he be alive, when Luffy was gone. First Sabo, all those years ago, blown out of the water to be lost forever. Luffy had been the only thing holding him connected, his fierce desire to make sure Luffy had a good enough big brother like what Sabo had been.

Then, there had been the promise they had made: to live more freely than anyone. He’d been free with Pops’ mark on his back and his many brothers by his side, and he’d always known Luffy was somewhere out there, strong and crazy and ready to fight him one day for the position of the one true Pirate King.

Now, he didn’t have that, because Luffy was gone. He wasn’t simply out of sight, he wasn’t off somewhere with his crew on an adventure of his own. He was six feet under in a grave standing close to Pops’, and he was _gone_.

Ace remembered seeing Akainu advance, throwing himself with every intention to give his own life if it meant keeping Luffy safe. And he also remembers not making it in time, not reaching the admiral’s form before he’d ran his bubbling fist straight through his younger brother’s body.

He remembers seeing Luffy hit the ground and thinking, _‘How am I still alive? Why is my heart still beating?’_. He remembers wanting it to _stop_.

It had been two years, and still on most days there was little that kept him from throwing himself off the side of their ship and just putting an end to it. He wanted to, because it was so hard to live with the pain and knowledge Luffy had died because of him, _for_ him.

Only in the last month, Marco, with his insane ability to just _know_ when Ace was thinking of breaking into the nurses’ medicine cabinets, had had to talk him down 4 times. He knew he was a shadow of himself, broken open and emptied out. He wasn’t the brother they’d given everything to save. That man had died with Luffy and Pops.

It just made him hate himself even more that he couldn’t even let them save him properly. How much more of a fuck-up could he _be_?

And now that the entire world knew who he was, they were being hunted down like prey. For two years the Whitebeards had hardly been allowed a single break, running into enemy after enemy, while Teach raked havoc onto the islands they’d sworn to protect. It was a struggle even going through the days by now, and they’d lost not one brother along the way.

And yet they _wouldn’t let him go_. He hated them, just a little bit, for their self-destruction. He hated himself even more for being grateful for it.

It was Vista’s time to drag him out of bed that morning, and he did it by shoving something unworldly spicy into his mouth and refusing to give him anything to chase it down with, even as his eyes watered from the heat. He’d had to bolt half way across the ship to find something properly cold, and by the time he’d managed to calm down going back into his cabin didn’t seem worth the trouble.

Marco was busy that day, locked away with Jozu while they were planning a course for one of their more loyal islands where they would seek refuge while the damage their ship had sustained in the last major sea battle was repaired. The Pequod wasn’t the Moby Dick, but she was their new home and they tried to take care of her as much as they could.

As he stood in the middle of the usual commotion on deck and barely noticed anything, Ace felt like today would be one of the bad days. He’d woken up with the sight of Luffy’s dead face seared in his mind, and the pain of it was eating him up from the inside. Despite his family’s attempts to drag him into some activities around the vessel, Ace found himself drifting. Drifting was dangerous, it often brought him too close to the railing, it always made it too tempting to just jump.

 _Why was that a bad thing, again?_ a part of him wondered, and Ace couldn’t really give a good enough answer.

“Commander Ace, watch out!”

His head snapped up in attention, and he could feel sweet adrenaline flooding his body and sending his senses into high alert. His haki extended, and he could feel the person heading towards him from the sky at spectacular speeds, and barely had the time to hurl himself to the side, before there was a crash that shook the entire ship and a crater opening up where he’d been moments ago.

Were they under attack again? _Goddamn_ it, they’d just managed to evade the Cross Pirates a day ago, did they not circle far enough? Or was this another ambush like the one at Pearl Island?

But then he realized, there was no one else. He might not be the most powerful user of kenbunshoku haki, but he couldn’t feel another ship, or a person who wasn’t known to him-

That… that included the man trying to stand up in the middle of the charred deck where he’d almost crashed right into Ace.

And as Ace sat there, speechless and lost in shock and disbelief, his charred and scratched up _little brother_ grabbed the banister to drag himself to his feet, pulled the always-present straw hat from where it rested against his back and put it rightfully on his head, looking battered but otherwise completely alive.

Ace figured, if this was him finally snapping and going insane, there were worst ways to go.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Continues in [Chapter 29: End Game](http://archiveofourown.org/works/4325103/chapters/9964265)


	19. Dancing Circles Around You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> **Prompt by** : [captain-yue-raccoon](http://captain-yue-raccoon.tumblr.com/)  
>  **Prompt** : dancers!au where Marco impress Ace with his moves  
>  **Rating** : T  
>  **Warnings** : None  
>  **Tags** : Modern AU, Dancers, Seduction through Dance, Vivi, Ace, Marco, MarcoAce  
> Originally posted [here](http://silmil-of-erebor.tumblr.com/post/124254884824/i-love-your-mini-fics-eue-3-s-so-what-about-a).

Ace didn’t consider himself a self-centered man, but he could not, for the life of him, think of another reason that the judges had assigned Marco to dance latino, other than to drive him so out of his mind that he’d fuck up his own performance. 

The man had been sex on legs from the moment Ace had laid his eyes on him. And then, he’d _danced_. 

It was frankly unfair how good one person could be, honestly. Most of the time Ace couldn’t even be bothered to see his partner (although, with Marco’s stunning lead there was no way she could be anything less than perfect) because that meant leaving Marco in his periphery, and taking his eyes off the man was frankly _painful_.

There had been good dances before, and some of the pair’s more irregular routines had been killers, but those had relied a lot on either showmanship, choreography or sheer sex appeal (of which both dancers had in spades). 

_This_ , however. This was pure undeluded, unadulterated _talent_. If Ace could detach his thoughts from how mind-bogglingly _good_ they were at it, he might be envious. 

He didn’t have the capacity right about now.

“We are _so_ not winning against them,” Vivi sighed from beside him, but he was a bit too preoccupied with watching Marco’s mesmerizing hip movements to really contribute to any kind of conversation. 

There was something magical in the way that man moved. His form was perfect, not one step out of time, not one arm landing in the wrong place, but it was about more than professional dancing, it was about the confidence pouring out of his every twist. 

Marco was, hands down, the most talented competent this year. And he _knew_ it. 

And Ace… _God_ , what he’d give to be twirled around like that under those confident, strong hands. With the moves they were pulling out, there was no doubt about Marco’s upper body strength. Ace might have a good amount of muscle on him, but he’d be nothing before Marco’s careful understanding of balance and the right way to hold his partner.

What he wouldn’t do for a private dance with that man…

“If you get hard right before we have to get out there, I will hate you for _life_ ,” Vivi declared and pressed one perfectly sharp heel into his toe to make sure he’d heard her. Ace turned big, wide eyes on her.

“Vivi. _Vivi_ , promise me you’ll be the best goddamn wingman this world has ever seen and help me get a date with him. I’ll do _anything_ ,” he begged.

“How about this: you help me win this thing,” she got a thoughtful look on her face, “ok, no, with those two winning will really be pushing it. You help me get to the finals of this thing, and I’ll gift wrap him for you.” 

“You, Miss Nafertari, have a deal,” Ace grinned, extending one hand for hers. 

Giggling, she winked at him and with a twinkle in her eye, she said:

“Let’s go rock their world, Mr Portgas,” and laid her hand on his delicately.

As they strode towards the stage, Ace knew in his heart that there was _no way_ he wouldn’t be facing Marco in those finals. He had _never_ been more motivated to win a competition in his _life_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Continues in [Chapter 28: Dancing for Pleasure](http://archiveofourown.org/works/4325103/chapters/9946010)


	20. A Favor or Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> **Prompt by** : Anon  
>  **Prompt** : the future of the current time line where the Whitebeards confront the Revolutionaries after hearing they got Ace's fruit (thinking they only got it cause it IS a powerful fruit) and then finding out Sabo is Ace's brother (how they take it is up to you) Bonus if you include Jimbei meeting Koala  
>  **Rating** : T  
>  **Warnings** : Mentions of Character Death  
>  **Tags** : Canon Compliant, Koala, Jinbe  
> Originally posted [here](http://silmil-of-erebor.tumblr.com/post/124307966804/can-i-request-for-sort-of-in-the-future-of-the).

Seriously, if she ended up doing Sabo’s job _one more_ time, she’d go talk to Dragon and demand a raise. This was turning ridiculous. The guy finds his little brother, and suddenly nothing else matters? Jeez!

Not only had he not helped with acquiring the list and preparing the ship, but he’d somehow decided he’d stay for a few days, like they weren’t already late enough as it was. Koala had made the executive decision to leave him behind on the island and see if he was really as good with the crows as he claimed to be. She still hadn’t gotten a chance to see it in action, and she was pissed enough right now to do it.

Yes, Luffy must be something else, if both Sabo and Robin talked with such high regard about him. He was Dragon’s _son_ , for crying out loud, there was _no way_ the kid wouldn’t be something great. 

But that did not, in fact, justify Sabo ditching them all. He’d promised not to leave the Revolutionary Army back when he’d first regained his memories. Was he changing his mind, or was this just him being his usual confusing (and confused) self?

Koala didn’t want to think about that. He wouldn’t leave them, he had responsibility and he supported their cause, now that he remembered himself even more than ever. He wouldn’t back out now. 

That _didn’t_ mean he’d do his job properly, apparently. 

“Hack-san!” There was some sort of commotion on deck, and she had to groan at the interruption. They still had a course to plan, and someone needed to call HQ and tell them Sabo got his fruit, and then—

“Would you go see what’s up?” Hack asked, elbows deep in his next job. Well, somebody had to, obviously.

“Sure, but if Sabo-kun calls tell him I’ll hit him for making me do all his work,” she pushed her chair back and tried carefully not to bump the table and disturb his work, while she left the stuffy cabin. A little fresh air would do her good, anyway.

“What’s going on?” She called as she stepped on the deck, the smell of salt in the air feeling comfortable and pleasant. 

“Uh, we really think we need Hack-san to take care of this…” the sailor who’d originally called out looked uncomfortable. Koala gave him an unimpressed look. “It’s just… Knight of the Sea Jinbe is here and demanding to-“

“Jinbe-san!?” She exclaimed, turning a few heads and only then noticing where everyone was gathered in the middle of the deck, all sorts of firearms pulled out and pointed at a peaceful-looking Jinbe who sat cross-legged in the middle of the commotion. “ _Oh my god_ , point those away,” she screeched and pulled the weapon from the closest Revolutionary. When the rest didn’t immediately do as instructed, she glared openly at them and pulled out the big guns. “Sabo-kun left me in control of this vessel while he isn’t around. Are you _really_ going to disregard that order?”

Everyone was so very fast to put away their weapons after that it would be funny if it wasn’t a bit insulting. She’d fought to get where she was, and she’d gladly kick Sabo’s ass publicly if that’s what was needed to get some respect around here. Or, well, Sabo would probably kick their asses for her if he knew they were being their usual sexist bastards the moment he turned his back again.

She huffed as the crowd slowly dispersed, and finally turned towards the sitting fishman. Ok, so maybe they’d been right in calling Hack, she knew the two of them were old friends, but Jinbe was also one of the merfolk she owed everything to and she considered herself his friend as well. 

“Long time no see, Jinbe-san,” she said as she stopped right in front of him and smiled widely. He watched her with warm eyes, an almost-smile on his face.

“You’ve grown well, Koala,” he offered in his voice, always as deep as the sea. She remembered him sitting just like this in front of her while she was scrubbing her own blood off of the planks of a very different ship. It felt like a lifetime ago.

“All thanks to you,” she bowed her head respectfully, before mimicking his stance and looking up at him. “What brings you to the Revolutionary Army?”

“An old friend of mine requested a favor,” he offered, his stance now more relaxed than it had been when she first laid eyes on him. “There is something your Chief of Staff has that the Whitebeard Pirates consider belonging to them.” 

“Ace-san’s Devil Fruit?” She asked, although it wasn’t much of a question. Sabo had expected as much and she felt ten timed more annoyed at him for not being here to deal with his own mess. Claiming the Mera Mera no Mi had been something he’d insisted on since he’d woken up. 

“Ace was their brother,” Jinbe said with a heavy air. “He was precious to them, and they wish to carry his legacy.” His eyes were dark and imploring where they bore into her own. “They are willing to pay quite the price to do so.”

“I think you should at least hear him out before you demand that of him,” she countered, refusing to cower under his strong gaze, but soon enough the call of a crow broke the staredown and she looked over the side of the ship only to spot a cloud of darkness approaching them at speed. “He’s got great timing as always,” she smiled. Maybe, if she was lucky, Sabo would fix this quickly and they could ask Jinbe to stay for dinner. Sabo still thrived on stories of his brother, and Hack would be happy to see him again as well. 

This could turn out to be a rather fun evening, after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Continues in [Chapter 30: Not Playing Favorites](http://archiveofourown.org/works/4325103/chapters/9991247)


	21. Wanted: The Perfect Pet

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> **Prompt by** : [sasariousss](http://sasariousss.tumblr.com/)  
>  **Prompt** : MarcoAce + adopting an animal together + tons of fluff pls  
>  **Rating** : T  
>  **Warnings** : None  
>  **Tags** : Modern AU, Domesticity, Pets, Ace, Marco, MarcoAce  
> Originally posted [here](http://silmil-of-erebor.tumblr.com/post/124327988629/since-prompts-are-open-and-you-have-so-much-angst).

It started as a joke.

“Oh, that’s some awesome crocodile,” Ace said while he was sprawled on top of Marco in front of the TV, their arms and legs intertwined comfortably. “Let’s get one as a pet!”

“I’m not letting a carnivorous reptile in my house, eh,” Marco replied, happy with watching the creature tear apart its prey from his safe place on the other side of the screen.

“How about a herbivorous one?” Ace nipped at his neck playfully.

“Where will you find a herbivorous crocodile?” Marco ran a hand down his hair. 

“I’ll think of something,” his partner smiled against his neck and Marco felt a sense of foreboding.

Naturally, it didn’t end there. 

_14:23 Ace: i decided i want an iguana! theyre all big and have awesome eyes like O.O  
_

_14:23 me: too bad you can’t have one while you’re living with me  
_

_14:24 Ace: snake? we can even get a not-poisonous one hisss~  
_

_14:26 me: why do you keep bothering me about this when I’m at work?  
_

_14:26 Ace: cause u always distract me w/ sex when ur home ;P  
_

_14:26 Ace: & i want smone to snuggle when ur gone Dx   
_

_14:30 me: you can’t snuggle a snake  
_

_14:30 Ace: is that a dare?_

Or there. 

_“So, I just watched this documentary about spiders,”_ Ace’s grin was audible from the other side of the connection. 

“Do I want to know?” Marco held the phone against his ear and exasperated affection dripped from his tone.

 _“Apparently some types of tarantulas are very nice for snuggling!”_ He declared with triumph. 

“… Ace, you can’t bare being in the same room as a standard garden variety spider, why do you think you can snuggle with a tarantula?” Marco raised his eyebrows, knowing the man could hear it over the phone.

_“But it looked all fuzzy like a stuffed toy! I want one!”_

Marco took a deep breath and reminded himself that hanging up on your partner was considered rather rude. 

Two days later he received an email with a picture of a chinchilla, and didn’t even wait for a follow-up one begging for it, before he sent a resounding **_NO._**

“You’re so mean,” Ace whined when he went home that night. “Chinchillas are the cutest and softest thing out there!”

“Yes, and they hate being touched,” Marco said, because he’d actually gathered all the information he’d needed long before this moment, knowing it would come. 

“They chew everything up, and they’re impossibly high maintenance.”

“You’re the worst roommate ever,” Ace groaned, and Marco dragged him to the bedroom to prove that claim completely false. So what if he was, indeed, distracting Ace with sex? The man always seemed to fall for it.

A month later, when he had shot down four more ridiculous ideas, Marco finally cracked. Early the next Saturday morning he grabbed Ace and dragged him to the car, shoving some coffee into his hands and driving off without a word.   
The man was too sleepy to really ask, but he seemed to come to his senses when the vehicle stopped right beside a dog shelter. 

“Marco?” He asked, wide-eyed and hopeful.

“You’re lonely without me around the house, eh?” The man unbuckled his seatbelt and smiled at his younger lover. “Pick one.”

“ _Any_ one?” Ace asked, eyes sparkling with excitement.

“Any _one_ ,” Marco stressed and Ace was out the door the moment he’d finished.


	22. Bonding Time!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> **Prompt by** : [sasariousss](http://sasariousss.tumblr.com/)  
>  **Prompt** : Roger and Ace family bonding time implemented by rouge 8)  
>  **Rating** : G  
>  **Warnings** : None  
>  **Tags** : Canon Divergence, Domesticity, Father and Son, Ace is a Pest, Ace, Rouge, Roger, Gol D. Family  
> Originally posted [here](http://silmil-of-erebor.tumblr.com/post/124337614629/omg-im-here-again-with-more-cutesy-prompts-roger).

Roger blinked down at the boy who was scowling up at him. He might have inherited his black hair and eyes, but those adorable freckles were _all_ Rouge. He kind of really liked them, but the cute kid got really surly whenever he tried to pinch his cheeks.

“What do I do with him?” He asked, looking back up at the most beautiful woman he’d ever known. 

Rouge gave him a slightly exasperated look that made her eyes catch the light just so. He couldn’t help but remember how she’d given him that very same look the second time they met, and he’d thought he could never look at another woman like he looked at her. Over fifteen years had passed, and he knew now that he’d been _completely_ right.

“You play with him,” she said, her voice musical and sweet. “You bond with him, you show him you can be a _father_ , Roger. You’re the Pirate King, you can manage that much, can’t you?” She smiled at what must have been a slightly panicked expression on his face. “I’ll be back before tonight.” She reached over to kiss his cheek and let him pull her into a full embrace.

Her perfume was just as refreshing as the sea air could ever be and it lingered in her hair where he pressed his lips. Her body was so slight but strong, and he always wanted to have his arms wrapped around her. 

Too soon, though, she pulled free from him and with another smile she turned to the boy. To _his_ boy, his _son_. Roger still had no idea how she’d talked him into _this_ one. He wasn’t a _father_ (regardless of how the walking and glaring brat seemed to prove otherwise) what was she _thinking_ leaving the kid for him to look after? 

Oh, but Rouge was smart, she wouldn’t leave them alone if she didn’t think they could both handle it. 

She bent down to wrap her hands around Ace and the boy seemed to completely _melt_ into her, burrowing into her soft dress and mumbling “Don’t go, mama,” into her shoulder.

“I’ll be back before dinner,” she promised with a soft kiss to his forehead. “Be good for your father, Ace.”

And then she was gone. The kid resumed his glaring the moment she was out of sight, and Roger found himself at a loss. How did you even _play_ with little children? 

“Do you play catch?” He asked, blinking at the little ball of anger at his feet, before the kid bared his teeth and kicked him in the knee with all the strength his little body possessed. Which was actually a _lot_. Had Rouge been teaching him how to use haki!? 

As Roger was still rubbing at the sore spot, the kid was suddenly running off somewhere, and no, Rouge had said to keep an eye on him!

“Wait!” He called and chased after the little pest.

When sunset came and Rouge was coming up the road to the house, she was greeted by a rather peculiar sight. 

Roger was stuck in a tree, hanging by one arm, the opposite leg, and the tail of his coat. Ace, in turn, was swinging back and forth, hanging from Roger’s moustache in either hand, and laughing loud and manic.

As she came near and her son noticed her arrival, he let go and hit the ground running, throwing himself into her arms with a cry of _‘Mama!’_ and a delightful grin on his face. 

“Did you have fun with your dad?” She asked, as she looked up at the very undignified look of defeat on the great Pirate King’s face. 

“Yep,” Ace’s grin turned evil. “We should play again soon!” 

As he ran towards the house with Rouge’s bag in his hands, a loud thud heralded the king’s ungraceful descend from the tree. Seeing him crumbled into a pile of extravagant clothes and twitching limbs, Rouge threw her head back and burst into laughter.


	23. Lead in Your Eyelids

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> **Prompt by** : [lunarshores](http://lunarshores.tumblr.com/) and at least 2 Anons  
>  **Prompt** : can we have a sequel to The Moment I said It  
>  **Rating** : G  
>  **Warnings** : Angst, Violence, not exactly the promised happy ending  
>  **Tags** : Modern AU, Fighting, Luffy, Sabo, Ace, Marco, ASL Brothers, MArcoAce  
>  **Sequel to** [Chapter 13: The Moment I Said It ](http://archiveofourown.org/works/4325103/chapters/9843467)  
>  Originally posted [here](http://silmil-of-erebor.tumblr.com/post/124381723044/hellloooo-first-i-just-wanna-say-that).

A week passed. A week, during which Marco could think of nothing other than Ace’s palpable absence. There hadn’t been one phone-call, one message or email. Not a word sent to him by someone else. 

His family had called, and he’d managed to figure out Ace wasn’t with them rather quickly. That only left one option, and frankly, he wasn’t entirely sure he’d live through that one if he went to see Ace.

But he had to. He needed to. There were still things he needed to say, to at least try and make this better. To remind Ace of all the ways his words had been an outburst, pure desperation and anger blowing up deep in his heart, and not truth.  
He didn’t deserve Ace’s forgiveness, but he could still try and earn it. Maybe, if he did, in time he’d manage to make up for it. 

He stood before the door, dread coiling in his gut and regret squeezing its fist around his heart. But he had to do this, it wasn’t something he could say over the phone, even if Ace would answer his calls. 

He knocked.

The moment the door opened, something rather hard and painful crashed into his gut, making the discomfort rather literal and flinging him until his back hit the opposite wall of the building. Then, in a flash, Luffy was in his face, his eyes spelling bloody murder and his hands fisted in Marco’s collar and almost cutting off his air. 

Sabo, who was usually the mitigating factor when the little brother went too out of hand, was leaning against the side of the door with his hands crossed and a cold look on his face. He appeared to only be there for the show. And, apparently, for commentary:

“You have some guts to be coming here.”

He didn’t get a moment to respond, because Luffy was pulling one hand away, drawing it back for a punch and Marco reflexively closed his eyes. He deserved anything they would like to dash out on him, and if he could still speak by the end of it, he could do what he came for.

But the hit never came.

“LUFFY WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING!?”

Ace was pushing past Sabo and grabbing Luffy by the hand, pulling him back and off of the older man. He was pale and looked tired, dark circles under bloodshot eyes, and Marco hated himself even more when he saw him. He’d done this.

“He hurt you,” Luffy’s voice was low and dangerous and Marco thought he really might not have made it out of this alive, if he’d been left to the mercy of that boy. 

“Yeah, _me_ , that means _I_ get to beat him up if _I_ want, not you,” Ace said in a similar scathing tone and pushed his brother towards the door. “Now scram!” 

Sabo put a hand on the most volatile of the bunch, and guided him inside, but before he went in his eyes landed on Marco one more time.

“If you don’t, I just might,” he said to Ace before he swung the door almost-shut. 

And then there were only the two of them. 

_“I’m going after him!”  
_

_“Stop being stupid, Ace, this wasn’t your fault and you can’t, you’ll get yourself killed.”  
_

_“Fuck getting myself killed, this was my responsibility, Marco, I have to set it right!”  
_

_“You know what? Fine! Fine, go, get yourself killed! See if anyone even cares!”_

Suddenly his words seemed to echo in the silent corridor and anything Marco might’ve said seemed to die on his tongue. Ace didn’t look angry anymore, but he looked so very sad, maybe even defeated. His head was hanging on his neck and his shoulders were hunched in as if he was trying to make himself small. He refused to even look at Marco.

Marco had known the impact his words could have the moment they’d fallen out of his mouth, and he would’ve given anything to stop them.

If only life worked that way.

“You know it’s not true,” he said barely above a whisper, but the sudden jerk of Ace’s shoulders, like it hurt to even hear his voice, betrayed the fact he had been heard. “Pops and our brothers, they would all care, always.” He might not be able to salvage what he’d so spectacularly smashed between them, but he had to try and mend a little of the damage. “Those two, as well. You know as well as I do that they’d happily spill my blood right here for my words, imagine what they’d do to someone who lays a finger on you.” 

Ace was still silent, half turned away from him and looking at the still cracked-open door as it he wished to disappear behind it. He probably did.

“And I…” Marco took a breath and spoke louder, wanting, needing Ace to understand this. “It would break me to see you dead.” 

Still no reaction, and a defeated sigh left Marco’s lips.

“I’m sorry. That’s all I wanted you to hear. I’ll be staying with Pops for a week, if you want your space to get your things, I won’t be in your hair.”

He bowed his head and pushed away from the wall, one hand coming up almost automatically to touch Ace’s back, before he stopped it half way there. He didn’t think his touch would be welcomed right about now. Or ever again.

He left and wondered if this would be the last he ever saw of Ace.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Continues in [Chapter 33: Don’t, oh, (smash) Please](http://archiveofourown.org/works/4325103/chapters/10026722)


	24. To Flirt or not to Flirt?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> **Prompt by** : [yozoraarashi](http://yozoraarashi.tumblr.com/)  
>  **Prompt** : Someone Marco cannot stand flirting with an oblivious Ace  
>  **Rating** : T  
>  **Warnings** : None  
>  **Tags** : Modern AU, Jealousy, Flirting, Ace, Marco, Smoker, MarcoAce  
> Originally posted [here](http://silmil-of-erebor.tumblr.com/post/124399731439/marco-ace-someone-marco-cannot-stand-flirting).

Going out clubbing with the family was always a rowdy affair, but Marco had given up on remaining sober during it about a decade ago. While the responsible older brother in him insisted someone had to be clear-headed in the end, there was way too many people in these gatherings for one man’s input to really make a difference at all.

Ace might be a new addition to their little outings, but he was quickly making a name for himself. He was loud and sociable, and when he got a little alcohol in his system, his casual conversations somehow turned into unconscious flirting that was endlessly amusing. 

Well. It was, when it was directed inside the family. Marco didn’t like the fact that he’d been leaning against the bar and openly laughing with the man who’d propped himself beside him. The older man’s body language was all centered around Ace, his body turned towards him and leaning far into his personal space. And with the looks he was throwing him there was no question as to what his intentions were.

The fact that Marco knew that the man was very much Ace’s type just made it so much more annoying. Yes, they were together now, and no, Marco didn’t _actually_ think Ace would cheat on him, but it was still unnerving to see the grey-haired muscle-bag lay a hand on his shoulder and keep their eyes locked for prolonged periods of time.

“ _Oh my god_ , just go and seduce him away from the big bad alpha dog, already!” Thatch hissed in his ear after Marco must have spent the last 10 minutes glaring daggers towards the pair at the bar. Throwing back the rest of his drink, Marco decided he just might. 

He made his way to the bar as catcalls exploded from the table behind him, and as soon as he was there, he shoved his way easily between Ace and the new man, effectively cutting off contact between his partner and the other. 

“What’s taking you so long, eh,” he asked as he slid his hand all the way down Ace’s back and tucked it into his back pocket, all the while pulling the man closer to himself. 

Ace easily leaned into him, seemingly forgetting about his previous company and grinning up at Marco. “Just waiting for the bartender cause it’s kinda busy,” he said as he nuzzled into Marco’s neck adoringly. “ _Smokey here_ ’s been keeping me company,” he added and Marco could feel the shit-eating grin stretching against his jaw and realized his bout of jealousy must have been noticed. 

“Well, I don’t think you’d be needing his company anymore, now, would you?” Marco shot the other man a look and was just about to dismiss him completely, when Ace tugged at the lobe of his ear with teeth and started whispering some… very… _interesting_ things. 

Marco gave the grey-haired man a considering look, and decided maybe there could be some merit to Ace’s mindless flirting, after all.


	25. Home for the Unwilling

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> **Prompt by** : [fantwirls](http://fantwirls.tumblr.com/)  
>  **Prompt** : Law is the new cat Sabo adopted from the pet adoption center and Luffy is Sabo's other cat, trying to be the cool big bro?  
>  **Rating** : G  
>  **Warnings** : None  
>  **Tags** : Modern AU: Characters as Cats, Domesticity, Cats, Law, Sabp, Luffy, Cora, LawLu if you want it to be  
> Originally posted [here](http://silmil-of-erebor.tumblr.com/post/124415873574/thank-you-for-the-wonderful-fill-so-youre).

“Oh, Sabo-kun, before you go can I ask you a favor?”

“Of course Cora-sa- please be careful with that light!”

“I’m ok, I’m ok, it barely even caught on fire, haha! Anyway, you’ve mentioned you have a cat?”

“Yes, Luffy’s quite the handful but he’s lovely.”

“Do you think he’d like a playmate? I’ve been keeping him in the office, but that can’t continue forever, and I can’t really bring him home. Brother… uh, he doesn’t like animals.”

“Oh? What’s his name? You look so cute, little one, wanna come and meet Lu?”

“Law! Can you give it a try? I hate to lose him, but this isn’t really a place for an animal…”

“Let’s see how they get along, then!”

—–

Law didn’t like this new house. He hadn’t really liked the old room, but it had had Cora in and he’d liked Cora a lot. This Sabo wasn’t bad, exactly, but he wasn’t Cora and maybe if he got Sabo annoyed enough, he’d be able to get back to Cora. 

Cora had gotten him off the streets when he’d been freezing in the winter and he’d fed him and gotten him all fixed up from where the bigger cats had beaten him to get his food. Cora had been kind and warm, and there was nothing better than curling into a ball on Cora’s lap, even if the man sometimes spilled water all over him. 

He missed Cora. 

And yes, Sabo wasn’t that bad, but then there was Luffy. Luffy, who thought he owned the house just because he’d lived here longer. Luffy, who decided he’d teach Law where everything was even though he couldn’t distinguish between their food and Sabo’s food.

It was strange, though. Where Cora had been around during the days and always left Law alone during the nights, Sabo for some reason was always in the house in the evening and often missing during the day. Law didn’t complain, though, because he sometimes came home smelling like Cora’s cigarettes and Law could curl up in his lap and pretend he was back home again.

Luffy wouldn’t stand for it, though, and would grumble loudly and insistently until Sabo either picked him up too and disturbed Law’s sweet self-delusion, or started cooing at him and petting him, which got old very soon and would drive Law to leaving in disgruntlement. 

Law wanted back. So he made Sabo’s life harder. He made it a point to shed on every darker piece of clothing where Luffy’s black hairs couldn’t be seen. He scratched up the nice living room chairs, even the ones Luffy hadn’t gotten his claws on, and sharpened his claws enough to draw blood easily when Sabo tried playing with him. He snuck into the shoe box and played with exactly one shoe of every pair, before leaving the door opened for Luffy to do as he pleased. He would start yowling in the early mornings when he’d noticed Sabo’s sleep was most disturbed. He would walk along the bookshelves and push all amount of clutter off. He’d even managed to chase Luffy to the top of the dresser that one time and then refused to show him how to get down, and the brat had been stuck there all day before Sabo finally came home to rescue him.

All in all he was doing his best, but for some reason Sabo wouldn’t give him back. He didn’t want this place to become familiar, he wanted the small room smelling of smoke and coffee and old papers, he wanted Cora.

Instead he got days with Luffy, who wouldn’t stay away from him no matter how many times he hit him over the nose. He got Luffy, who would drag over stupid little toys to entice him to play, and would then completely forget about Law as he got distracted in playing with them himself. Luffy, who tried to climb up Sabo’s trousers every time the man came back, and then rush off to Law to tell him, as if he couldn’t smell the man from two streets away.

He didn’t like Luffy. Not at all. Not even when the brat would try washing him no matter how many times Law chased him away. Not even when he’d brought him that beetle he’d caught before he even showed it to Sabo, waving his tail in pride. Not even when he’d offer Law his favorite napping spot in that weird straw hat of his. 

Ok, so maybe the other cat wasn’t that bad company. And ok, maybe it was nice to have someone more like him to chase after when the days grew dull. 

But he still kept rolling over Sabo’s formal suit at every opportunity he got. It wouldn’t do to have the man think he liked him or anything.

—–

“How’s Law doing?”

“Oh, he and Luffy are getting along wonderfully! Better then I would’ve expected, really, haha. It was a tough few weeks at first, but you should see them sleeping cuddled together on Law’s pillow, it’s the sweetest thing. Maybe I should take a picture for you next time.”

“I’d love to! Ah, I miss him so mu- auCH!”

“Watch it with the tea, Cora-san, it’s hot!” 

“Well, at least I only have myself to scald now, huh?”

“Why don’t you come over this Sunday if you have some free time? I’m sure Law would love to see you again.”

“Heh, maybe I will.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Continues in [Chapter 35: Hiding Under](http://archiveofourown.org/works/4325103/chapters/10061660)


	26. Moving Movies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> **Prompt by** : [fantwirls](http://fantwirls.tumblr.com/)  
>  **Prompt** : ASL and super hero movies  
>  **Rating** : G  
>  **Warnings** : Spoilers for a bunch of Marvel movies XD  
>  **Tags** : Modern AU: Still Have Powers, Domesticity, Movie Night, Marvel (Mostly Avengers), Sabo, Luffy, Ace, mentions of MarcoAce  
> Originally posted [here](http://silmil-of-erebor.tumblr.com/post/124491059239/prompt-asl-and-super-hero-movies).

The day Sabo decided it would be fun to watch some super hero movies would forever remain one of the darkest days in his life. 

They started with some rather old one about the fantastic 4, because one of them stretched and Luffy was all excited about it. It ended with Ace jumping out of a window to see if he could fly and Luffy flinging his limbs all around the tiny apartment. Ace almost burned down the building, and Sabo put a ban on using special abilities in doors. Nevertheless, they still got evicted. 

Picking up a safer bunch of movies, because now that they had a taste of the mindless action with awesome visual effects Luffy and Ace wanted more, Sabo hunted down the entire _Avengers_ timeline, starting all the way back from _Captain America_. 

Ace fell asleep half way through the movie, but woke up on time to curse at Bucky’s fall. Luffy ate 10 packets of popcorn all by himself, and declared himself the captain of the house. 

When they watched _Thor_ , Ace found what Sabo considered a rather unhealthy kinship with Loki and booed against Odin the entire time, going as far as to cheer loudly when the guy collapsed on the stairs. Luffy wouldn’t stop screaming at how “COOL!!!” everything in Asgard was, and somehow managed to find a red cape and winged helmet to wear for a week. 

The _Iron Man_ movies went uneventful by comparison, but at one point Luffy started flinging his arms all around the place when Tony was using his holograms and almost smashing the TV. Ace might have fallen in love with Pepper a little bit, but Sabo always knew loyal and frighteningly efficient people were his type (look at Marco!) 

On their first sparring session after _The Avengers_ , Ace grabbed Luffy by the leg and smashed him into the ground in a manner very similar to the one the Hulk had used on Loki, screaming: “Ace smash!” all the while. Luffy started calling Zoro ‘Hulk’, which lead to the swordsman almost chopping off his hand when he got tired of it. 

_Thor 2_ had Ace’s full attention again, and Luffy’s eyes sparkled with all the cool magic and “Can I do that? I wanna do that!”, before he got his hands on a small hammer from Sabo’s tool box and ran around the house smashing the walls. Needless to say, they had to move again. Ace’s absolute delight at the after-credits scene was worth it, though.

 _The Winter Soldier_ lost Luffy half way through, but he declared he wanted to be Natasha when he grew up. Ace found it more interesting than the first part and actually seemed to enjoy the plot this time around. 

Sabo personally liked _Guardians of the Galaxy_ the best, if only because it was the most mindlessly boggling of them all. There was:

“That’s so COOL I WANT A TALKING TREE TOO!”

“Why is there a talking raccoon?”

“It’s a space raccoon, Ace, stop questioning it.”

And Ace laughing through his tears:

“I love the tree!”

Which later turned into:

“Stop sobbing Luffy it’s just a stupid tree, you’re such a crybaby,” even when his own eyes were watery and his voice wavered.

And of course,

“Did they… Did they _seriously_ just save the galaxy with the _power of friendship_ … and a _dance-off_?”

“SO COOL! Hey Ace, Sabo, let’s kick asses while dancing!”

The next time they were discussing something than involved planning, Luffy, wearing the most serious face he had, declared that he would need Kid’s metal arm. Ace hit him over the head and burst out laughing.

Sabo felt very uncertain about starting them on DC.


	27. On Unknown Grounds

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> **Prompt by** : [officialsabo](http://officialsabo.tumblr.com/)  
>  **Prompt** : kuma had sent luffy to baltigo. luffy meeting his supposed dead brother who has amnesia and then finding out ace is going to be executed  
>  **Rating** : T  
>  **Warnings** : Spoilers  
>  **Tags** : Canon Divergence, ASL Brothers, Sabo, Luffy, Koala  
> Originally posted [here](http://silmil-of-erebor.tumblr.com/post/124502745369/imagine-if-kuma-had-sent-luffy-to-baltigo-luffy).

On one completely unimportant day, Strawhat Luffy crash-landed in a paw-shaped crater right outside the Revolutionary Army’s headquarters. Sabo couldn’t decide if it was more irritating or amusing.

The pirate obviously had no idea where he was, or _what_ the Revolutionary Army even was, to everyone’s astonishment and Sabo's own personal amusement. The kid was like a whirlwind of energy and bad ideas wrapped into a stretchy exterior. Sabo thought he might have liked him, if he wasn’t such a handful.

Because Sabo was busy. He was the freaking Chief of Staff and dragon was on this job and hadn’t been back for two months, and Sabo was practically running things right about then. He didn’t have time to collect the adventure-seeking pirate from the White Caves when he got lost, or to bother gathering intel on his latest insanity through the crows when he should be signing off on reports and organizing missions. 

And, also, there was this itching at the back of his mind, something he’d noticed before when he looked through papers and saw faces that seemed to have a shadow of familiarity. He didn’t know these people, he was sure of it – there were little occasions for a Revolutionary to mix with Pirates anyway, and Fire Fist Ace was somebody, yes, but there was no reason for his name to resonate like that.

It had been getting more and more persistent since Strawhat appeared and it was driving Sabo to distraction. He looked at the newspapers speaking of the Second Division Commander in Impel down and wondered what it was in those two men that was so special.

Until the day he had to, once more, drag Luffy out of the storage room for classified documents where he’d inadvertently wandered into once again. Koala laughed at his exasperated expression as he dropped the Pirate on the common room couch and told him to _stay out of there_.

“Oh, Sabo-kun,” she said grinning. “Maybe you should find him something else to do if you want him out of your hair so much.”

He was just about to tell her that babysitting insane pirates was not his job, when the air of the room changed so suddenly he felt goosebumps rise on his arms. 

The gullible and confused expression fell off of Strawhat’s face, and instead his eyes were wide and shocked and intense.

“Sabo?” He spoke his name like a question, and there was something bright dawning on his face. “Your name is Sabo?”

Sabo scratched the back of his head in confusion, trying to put his finger on whether he should be worried about this sudden shift in mood or not.

“I didn’t introduce myself earlier?” He looked at Koala for confirmation. He’d dealt with the pirate a couple of times by now, either stopping him from doing stupid things, or trying to keep him out of danger, but he hadn’t spoken to him that much. 

“Of course you didn’t, you air-brained idiot,” Koala stuck her tongue out at him. “Wondered how long it would take you to-“

But before she could finish with the jibe, or he could turn to actually introduce himself for real, Strawhat seemed to launch himself off of the couch and he was suddenly sobbing all over Sabo, arms and legs wrapped around his head and clutching desperately at him. _Damn_ the brat was fast.

A litany of _“Sabo! You’re Sabo! You’re alive! Why didn’t you say anything? Sabo! I’m so happy to see you again, you’re alive, wait till Ace hears, Sabo! SABOOOO!”_ turned every head in the room their way and Sabo felt very, very confused.

Koala falling off of her chair in laughter wasn’t helping.

“What the hell are you crying about!?” He asked, trying to detach the clingy man off of himself. When he realized his confusion, though, Strawhat released him so suddenly, he ended up falling on his ass, looking up at Sabo with big, wet eyes.

“What do you mean, Sabo?” He asked, his voice wobbling. “Don’t you know who I am? Don’t you remember when we were kids and we swore to be brothers? You and Ace and…”

And he must have said something after that, but Sabo’s head was reeling, something pushing through from a dark place that had been left locked away in so long Sabo almost forgot it even existed. His breaths were coming in sharp gasps as blinding pain slashed through his head, and his entire world blacked out.

—–

The first thing Sabo did when he woke up, was to grab Luffy into a bone-crushing hug and tell him how happy he was to have his little brother again.

The second was to call every last Revolutionary left on the island to arms. He was the Chief of Staff of the Army, and the commander of it for as long as Dragon was away. And he’d be damned if he didn’t lead them to war on Marineford to save his brother.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Continues in [Chapter 36: Breathing Fire ](http://archiveofourown.org/works/4325103/chapters/10065281)


	28. Dancing for Pleasure

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> **Prompt by** : [digitalmagus](http://digitalmagus.tumblr.com/)  
>  **Prompt** : Marcos view of the dance AU  
>  **Rating** : G  
>  **Warnings** : None  
>  **Tags** : Modern AU, Dancers, Marco, Vivi, Ace, MarcoAce  
>  **Sequel to** [Chapter 19: Dancing Circles Around You](http://archiveofourown.org/works/4325103/chapters/9881135)  
>  Originally posted [here](http://silmil-of-erebor.tumblr.com/post/124562363154/your-prompts-are-amazing-i-already-want-marcos).

When he stepped off the stage, his body still thrumming with the energy of the performance and the audience’s response, Marco didn’t wander too far away. His eyes were glued to the pair that took their place on the podium – Ace and Vivi, he remembered. They had been his favorite competition so far and this dance would definitely prove to be worth seeing. 

As the music began and they opened their routine, Marco leaned against the wall and observed. There was something in the way that they moved that always caught his eye – they danced to win, yes, everyone in this competition did, but they also danced for fun. 

Marco had been a professional dancer for some time now, and he knew that the mundanity of it could drive people into despising what they’ve once enjoyed. The stress and competitiveness of big competitions could also very easily build up and destroy any chance of people ever dancing for fun again.

But this pair was either too young to have been bothered by it, or they simply truly loved what they were doing to such an extent that nothing could sour it. 

Vivi was vibrant and nimble on her feet, her smile and open look on her face adding to the lively steps, her long blue hair twirling behind her like a cape. She followed Ace’s lead easily, but she didn’t back down from taking the initiative and moving on her own. 

Ace danced with all the passion under the sun. He was fast and clever, knowing just when to pull Vivi towards him and when to back her from the side; when to grab the audience’s attention, and when to let her have it. 

They worked together as a well-oiled machine, a certain sense of intimacy around them that Marco rarely saw in pairs if they weren’t dancing between the sheets together when they were off stage. 

He found it a bit regrettable. Ace, with all his energy and enthusiasm was so very much Marco’s type, and he’d noticed his undeniable boyish charm from the moment he’d laid eyes on him. 

As their dance came to a spectacular finish Marco found himself applauding together with everyone else, and for the barest moment Ace’s eyes seemed to zero in on him, their gazes meeting and sticking together like glue. For a moment the smile on the younger man’s face was all for him, undeniably challenging but also burning with want.

Was it possible Marco had misjudged their relationship?

As the next pair of dancers took their place on stage, he noticed Ace and Vivi sharing a few words by the back door, before the man vanished backstage and she stretched leisurely, looked around and also seemed to focus on Marco with intent, before heading his way.

Theirs could always be one of those open relationships, Marco considered. That might prove to be an interesting development. 

When Vivi leaned casually beside him and looked on towards the next dancers on stage Marco’s eyes remained firmly on her, curiosity itching under his skin.

“We’re gonna dance against you in the finals,” she declared with confidence. “And we might even get lucky and win.” There was a hint of doubt on her face, but the smile was firm and unwavering. Winning wasn’t all this competition was for her. 

“It would be a pleasure to face you, eh,” Marco offered with a smile of his own. 

“Oh, believe me,” she finally turned to look at him with a laugh. “The pleasure will be all Ace’s.” There was a mischievous twinkle in her eyes. “Because, you see, I promised him he’d go on a date with you if we made the finals.”

Marco felt his eyebrows drawing up in equal interest and shock. While this was fortunate, he’d almost given up on hoping for it when he’d watched them dance the first time. But if he had, indeed, been wrong, then this could turn into a very successful competition, whether he won or not. 

“Well,” he offered, a smile stretching over his face. “it really wouldn’t do to make a liar out of you, Miss Nefertari.”

“You’re my kind of man, Mr. Newgate,” she laughed and pushing away from the wall, looked back at him from over one shoulder. “See you at the finals.”

As she headed backstage with her hips swaying slightly with the music, Marco noticed Ace waiting by the door and offering her a wide grin and a bottle of water. Marco suddenly found himself looking very much forward to the end of this competition.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Continues in [ Chapter 55: Dancing Around the Subject ](http://archiveofourown.org/works/4325103/chapters/11465932)


	29. End Game

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> **Prompt by** : [digitalmagus](http://digitalmagus.tumblr.com/), [officialsabo](http://officialsabo.tumblr.com/) and [minister-of-silly-walks](http://minister-of-silly-walks.tumblr.com/)  
>  **Prompt** : Ace might not be able to run FROM Akainu but he can run TO his lost brother  
>  **Rating** : T  
>  **Warnings** : None  
>  **Tags** : Canon Divergence, ASL Brothers, Marco, Ace, Luffy, Sabo  
>  **Sequel to** [Chapter 18: Crash into Oblivion ](http://archiveofourown.org/works/4325103/chapters/9878357)  
>  Originally posted [here](http://silmil-of-erebor.tumblr.com/post/124573838484/end-game).

The next hours are a haze in Ace’s mind. He remembers shocked silence falling over the entire ship. He remembers reaching out towards the vision that couldn’t possibly be real, thinking ‘Please, please don’t disappear, please be real, Luffy, be real!’. He remembers his brother looking back at him with wide eyes and then bursting out in tears and sobbing out his name. 

He remembers, with strange clarity, his arms wrapped around his brother’s shaking shoulders. He remembers how Luffy smelled of ozone and ash and the sun. He remembers his long thin limbs grabbing around him – arms around Ace’s neck and legs around his middle. He remembers fingers scratching at his back as if they wanted to claw under his skin. He remembers hot tears streaming down his shoulder. He remembers the sounds Luffy made – not real words, but half-strangled sobs and choked exhales. 

He remembers shaking so hard he might have fallen into pieces if his brother wasn’t holding on to him so tightly. 

At some point Marco must have been dragged over, because next thing Ace remembers, they are seated in the captain’s quarters and Marco is looking at Luffy like he’s seeing a ghost. 

In all honesty, he is.

And when, Luffy finally calms down enough to start talking, and Ace’s world tilts on its axis. 

He talks of a different world where Ace made it and died in his place. Marco looks deathly pale at that, but happiness Ace hasn’t felt in two years bursts in his chest. At least, he thinks, one version of him managed to do the right thing.   
Luffy doesn’t stop there, though.

Sabo is alive. 

Sabo is alive and amnesic and a part of the Revolutionary Army. 

And Ace knows what he has to do.

Marco tries to talk him out of it, he spends hours in reasonable persuasion, and then a few more yelling at him; but the moment Luffy said it, Ace’s mind had been set.

The Whitebeards are too scattered, too crippled, too weak to survive the constant attacks for much longer. Every day Ace spends with them is a day another of their brothers might die. He’s tried to do this so many times before, and now he has one more reason to go.

He wants to see his brother again. 

Luffy practically attaches himself to his arm the moment they step off the ship, and refuses to let go until they’ve spotted Baltigo in the distance. The month they spend sailing together is the happiest in Ace’s life.

And then they dock and they’re being arrested because this place is secret and they’re not even supposed to know it exists, not to mention where it is. Ace decides to fuck them all, he’s meeting his brother if it’s the last thing he does, and starts fighting his way to what he’s sure is the headquarters building. 

Eventually, Sabo’s sent out to contain him. It ends up more of a brawl than a tearful reunion, but when Ace, just barely, manages to gain the upper hand, he hits him over the head and then dissolves into laughter.

In the commotion no one notices how Luffy sees Ace laughing, smiles, and leaves.


	30. Not Playing Favorites

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> **Prompt by** : Anons  
>  **Prompt** : continuation of the Sabo and WB pirates one please  
>  **Rating** : G  
>  **Warnings** : Spoilers  
>  **Tags** : Canon Compliant, Marco, Sabo, Koala, Jinbe  
>  **Sequel to** [Chapter 20: A Favor or Two](http://archiveofourown.org/works/4325103/chapters/9893690)  
>  Originally posted [here](http://silmil-of-erebor.tumblr.com/post/124760932004/i-dont-know-if-that-other-anon-wants-one-but-id).

Unfortunately, Jinbe wasn’t there to negotiate, but only to pave the way for the one who was. Koala wasn’t easily intimidated, but the Whitebeard’s First Division Commander (apparently, he’d kept his original position even after their captain had died), could be an imposing man. 

He’d arrived in a way similar to Sabo’s barely a few minutes after him, and now there was a rather nerve-wrecking stare-down happening on the main deck. 

Sabo was standing his ground with his head held high and certainty in his eyes, while Marco crouched on the railing like a raptor, not letting his calculating gaze wander off his face. 

“And you expect me to believe this overly-convenient story, eh?” He asked after a long moment of silence. “That Ace’s long-lost brother is actually alive, and only regained his memories on time to get his hands on Ace’s fruit?” Well, when he put it like that it _did_ sound a bit suspect. “How much of a fool do you take me for, eh?”

“You think this was _convenient_!?” Sabo actually snapped, which made Koala really look at him. This last comment had definitely touched a nerve. “You think it was _convenient_ for me to only remember him when it was too late!? You think I wouldn’t have given anything- _everything_ if I had just-“ 

He turned away, his shoulders rigid, stance tense and something between anger and despair lurking in his darkened eyes. He took a few deep breaths and visibly composed himself, before turning to the pirate. 

“I lost a brother that day, too,” Sabo said, his words once more resolute and strong. “Just because I didn’t get to be by his side for his last years doesn’t mean I’m unworthy of carrying his legacy.”

“And what, pray tell,” Marco left his spot on the railing and started stalking closer to Sabo. “makes you _more_ worthy of carrying it than any of us?”

He could claim Luffy’s support, because Koala knew he never would have taken the fruit if Strawhat had actually objected. But, the more Koala thought about it, the more that would be a low blow. 

Sabo didn’t back away for a moment. 

“This isn’t a competition,” he answered easily. “It isn’t a matter of who’s _more worthy_. It’s not really a matter of anything, given that I’ve already eaten the fruit and can’t surrender it to you if I wanted,” he let some flames flick out in demonstration, but not in warning. Just proving a point. “The only real question here is if you’d choose to make me your enemy or not. I would much rather not be, but it really depends on you.”

Sabo didn’t exactly surrender the choice, but presented it to the older man. Koala knew very well he’d been hoping to make strong bonds between the Revolutionary Army and the Whitebeard Pirates if he could – something that could be useful to both sides. But if Ace’s brothers chose to see this as theft of something that belonged to them, then he might not be able to achieve that goal. 

The Phoenix’s gaze was still searching and heavy, his stance confrontational. She really didn’t want this to turn into a fight right there on the ship… Maybe it was time to step in and-

“You shouldn’t interrupt,” Jinbe laid a hand on her shoulder. “Marco might not be Whitebeard, but he is a good man, and he is not unreasonable.”

“You know him well?” She asked back, keeping the worry out of her voice.

“Well enough,” Jinbe offered and, as Marco’s body language shifted into something more relaxed, he stood up. “I have heard Hack is here, would you take me to see him?” He asked and Koala didn’t need to be told the two men should be allowed their privacy now that the initial animosity had subsided, so she led the way below deck. 

When, a while later, Sabo stepped in and declared that Marco would be traveling with them for a while, she really did hit him over the head with a book. It was only instinct that helped her pull it away fast enough to save it from a fiery death. 

“ _You_ ’re explaining this to Dragon-san!” She told him firmly as she threw the Den Den Mushi at his head.


	31. A Guardian’s Duty

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> **Prompt by** : [minister-of-silly-walks](http://minister-of-silly-walks.tumblr.com/)  
>  **Prompt** : Marco/Ace medieval/fantasy AU “If you’ve come to vandalize the fresco I hope you brought more than arrows to save you.”  
>  **Rating** : T  
>  **Warnings** : Violence  
>  **Tags** : Fantasy AU, Demon, Guardian, Ace, Marco, Teach, MarcoAce (if you squint)  
> Originally posted [here](http://silmil-of-erebor.tumblr.com/post/124826069144/one-piece-prompts).

Ace’s steps sounded in the darkness, the sounds reverberating threateningly and echoing like they had hit walls that shouldn’t exist. He wasn’t one to run, but this _thing_ was proving to be so much more than he could handle. He needed daylight, or at least something to back his own flames with, but in the barren ruins there was nothing that could aid him. 

Another sharp twist of the darkness surrounding him, and he shot a fireball to dissolve the sharp spike that tried to stab through his leg. 

He shouldn’t have been in the open in such a night – it was overcast and gloomy, the moon and all stars hidden behind a heavy cover of clouds. He should have been more careful, when he knew he was being hunted. 

The demon lashed out again and Ace found himself shoved into the highest wall still standing that he’d noticed so far. The darkness seemed to twist around his feet trying to cover him, to lock him in and he focused his remaining strength in forming a line of flame a couple of inches before himself on the ground.

There was nothing to feed the fire, though, and he could feel it draining his energy in the short seconds it took to sustain it. He wouldn’t be able to keep the monster away much longer, and he was quite literally trapped with a wall against his back. 

He saw two menacing eyes in the black mass gathering on the other side of his flames, and a dark grin with missing teeth. The creature shifted, arms forming and a thin line of darkness forming between them. It shot forward faster than Ace could dodge it and he cried out in pain as it pierced through his shoulder. 

His fire flickered once and vanished, the pain making him lose focus. He could feel the demon closing in, sharp tendrils of darkness aimed at him and for a moment he thought this would be it. 

Then a spark of blue flashed before his eyes, and a semi-circle of sky-colored flames burned before him. He could hear the cry of the monster as it was forced back by the sudden onslaught of light, and also a voice he didn’t know echoing with no clear place of origin.

“If you’ve come to vandalize the fresco,” it was low and dangerous, and Ace thought he was so done with this night, he wouldn’t be capable of managing another monster on top of this one. “I hope you brought more than arrows to save you, eh.”

Arrows?

Ace looked down at his shoulder, red seeping through his shirt. There was, indeed, what looked like the end of an arrow sticking out of it. He wondered at it and at how it was still there despite of the blue flames having chased the rest of the darkness away, but before he could move to take it out, it twisted and the pain most literally brought him to his knees.

Before his eyes the arrow moved like a living thing, trying to burrow itself under his skin and he could hardly find his breath from how bad it hurt to have it squirming around in his shoulder. 

Suddenly, there was a presence behind him, but he couldn’t do anything by that point, too dazed and exhausted. A hand landed high on his back, supporting, and one closed over the gaping wound and the darkness twisting around it.

“This will hurt, eh,” that same voice whispered in his ear, and the last thing he saw before the pain of it took him under, was an eruption of bright blue flames. 

A part of him didn’t expect to wake up, so when he did it was a slow and confusing process. He first registered a warm throb in his shoulder, that had nothing to do with the breath-stealing pain that he remembered. It wasn’t even unpleasant, really, just _there_. 

The second was the hard ground under his back and the softness of fabric beneath his head. 

The third, and most comforting one, was the touch of sunlight on his face. 

He took a deep breath and opened his eyes. The color of the sky suddenly reminded him of flickering fire. 

“Welcome back to the living, eh,” spoke a strangely familiar voice. Ace blinked a few times and tried to make sense of his position. He was… lying on the ground… on his back, ok, so far so good… 

He… had his head in a stranger’s lap, and the stranger had a hand on his previously wounded shoulder. 

_Not_ so good.

“Wha-?”

“I suppose Teach found something more entertaining to do than aiming at Pops’ fresco nowadays. He just made the mistake of coming too close to it again, eh.”

“Teach…?”

“The demon that had your scent.”

“Fresco?” 

The man smiled at him and nodded his head to the side. When Ace followed the movement with his eyes, he noticed the wall he’d crashed against last night, indeed the highest still-standing structure around. It had an impressive mural depicting a giant of a man with a blue flaming bird on his shoulder sitting on a high throne. It reminded Ace of the images depicting the pagan gods of old. Maybe it was one?

“Who… are you?” Ace asked, still confused. 

“Marco,” he offered. “The guardian of Pops’ resting place.”

“Thank you, Marco,” Ace smiled up at him honestly. 

“Rest for now, eh,” the man said and laid a gentle hand over his eyes. “And when you’re feeling better, you can tell me why he’s after you and I’ll see what I can do.” 

Ace released a quiet sigh and let himself drift under the soft touches, feeling safe for the first time in a long while.


	32. Of Chaos and Gifts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> **Prompt by** : [sasariousss](http://sasariousss.tumblr.com/)  
>  **Prompt** : ASL pranking on Dadan  
>  **Rating** : G  
>  **Warnings** : None  
>  **Tags** : Canon Compliant, Pranks, ASL Brothers, Ace, Luffy, Sabo, Dadan  
> Originally posted [here](http://silmil-of-erebor.tumblr.com/post/124850943934/more-prompts-asl-pranking-on-dadan-d).

She didn’t know how it had even started, but at some point the three brats had decided sneaking into the house in the middle of the night would be fun. 

Dadan let it go, deciding that as long as they didn’t disturb everyone’s sleep and didn’t steal shit, she figured it would be fine. 

It wasn’t. 

Sure, they didn’t take anything – there was usually no food left to be taken by the middle of the night, anyway – the risks of living with so many starved bandits, and the brats were too stupid to consider anything else worth taking. But they did stupid shit. 

There was that time it had taken her an entire day to realize that they had moved all the furniture just 5 cm to the right, and everyone kept bumping into everything, spilling food and breaking things and generally making her life hell. 

There was also the time they’d switched the soap with something that made all the laundry smell like shit and it had taken almost a month of daily re-washing to get the stench off. 

Then half of the bandits had woken to itching powder in their hair, which refused to wash off and after two weeks of misery they had decided to simply go bald and be done with the whole thing. 

Dadan was getting progressively annoyed with the brats, and made sure to securely lock every window and door of the house before she went to bed.

The first time she did that, they had a perfect full night of sleep, but there was a trap laid right in front of the door that she fell in first thing in the morning. 

Then, they’d started picking the locks. Crafty little menaces! Dadan would find whoever thought them how and break their fingers one by one!

On the day she woke up to find her favorite red beads missing, though, she decided she’d had enough. The brats could mess with everything all they wanted, but stealing from her she wouldn’t stand.

So she started on the way to the treehouse, determined to beat them up and remind them exactly why they shouldn’t mess with her, when she’d heard voices from behind some trees.

“What are you doing, Luffy? I told you to string them like this!”

“But this looks funnier, hihi!”

“Yeah, but we’re not trying to make it funny, ok?”

“It’s for Ace, he should have more funny things.”

“Ace doesn’t like funny things!”

“That’s ‘cause he’s stupid!”

She peeked through some bushes to predictably find Sabo and Luffy huddled between the large roots of a tree and working on something, light reflecting over a few red beads rolling between the grass blades around them.

“Let’s go eat,” Luffy suddenly said, dropping his work on something orange and plopping back down. 

“Not now, Luffy!” Sabo poked him in the side insistently. “We need to finish this before Dadan wakes up so we can put the beads back together! You don’t really want to make her angry, do you?”

“I don’t want angry bandits.” 

“Then get up and help me already! Do you think the smiling one should be on the left or on the right?” 

Luffy got a contemplative look on his face, thought long and hard, and finally came up with:

“On both!”

“We only have one smiling face, Luffy, we can’t have it on both!”

“Turn around the frowning one, then!”

“That’s not how it works!”

Sabo grabbed what Dadan could now identify as an orange cowboy hat from Luffy’s hands and proceeded to string together some of her beads around it, handing Luffy the rest.

“Here, tie these ends together, can you do that? And be careful not to lose any of the beads, we’re giving them back to her!” 

“Ace will love his new hat!” Luffy laughed and started struggling with the string.

Dadan took a few quiet steps back, before making her way home with warmth building up in her heart. Later that day, she found her beads tucked next to her bed, and if there were some missing and the string was empty now on the back of her neck, she never mentioned it. 

When years later, she saw Ace start his life as a pirate wearing a hat with two faces and red beads all around the rim, she thought she might actually miss the nightly pranks.  


	33. Don’t, oh, (smash) Please

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> **Prompt by** : Anon  
>  **Prompt** : I feel that we need one after Lead in Your Eyelids because I really want to see how that plays out. Pretty please?  
>  **Rating** : G  
>  **Warnings** : Violence, Depression  
>  **Tags** : Modern AU, Fighting, Ace, Marco, MarcoAce  
>  **Sequel to** [Chapter 23: Lead in Your Eyelids](http://archiveofourown.org/works/4325103/chapters/9907880)  
>  Originally posted [here](http://silmil-of-erebor.tumblr.com/post/124929188319/okay-so-i-dont-know-if-youre-still-taking).

The days stretched out impossibly, and Marco threw himself into his work with abandon. He’d talked to Pops, there was no way he wouldn’t, and the old man had put a lot of effort in not showing his disappointment, but Marco had known him for far too long to not recognize it in the pronounced wrinkles around his eyes and the sound of his voice. 

He wouldn’t turn his back on Marco, though, and he’d let him crash on his couch for as long as he needed. Marco had promised Ace to leave the house, and besides, he couldn’t stand the reminder of everything he’d so completely destroyed with his own two hands.

Not that he took much advantage of Pops’ bed, though. He spent the first two days in the office, looking through old records and figures, trying to find anything that would point them in Teach’s direction. Then, after his body had finally demanded sleep around the 50th hour, he’d just tipped over the papers and caught up on a bit of rest, until the rest of the family started coming in and the commotion disturbed him.

He refused to talk to anyone and only addressed Ace’s absence by saying it was Marco’s own fault. He was pretty sure they could all tell there was something going on, but no one called him out on it.

Thatch would have. 

But Thatch was dead.

He buried himself in work so he wouldn’t feel the black hole of self-hatred and regret that was eating him up from the inside. Every time he stopped for more than a moment, he could feel it sinking its ugly clutches into his lungs, freezing his breath and his heart. 

He dreaded the day he would grow used to it. 

Another week passed after he’d last seen Ace and he spent the night drinking himself into a coma, sat under his desk. The next morning he couldn’t decide if his head hurt more from the hangover, or from the crying. 

Work continued to come in, and with the hours he was doing he was just about covering Ace and Thatch’s shares as well. He refused to go back to the house and found any excuse to prolong the dreaded moment when he’d walk past his door to see every proof that Ace was out of his life for good. 

So he sank into this routine of working himself into exhaustion, before collapsing into restless sleep – sometimes on Pops’ couch, sometimes in his office. He discovered he could run things almost as smoothly going on caffeine and soul-deep pain, as he did when he felt like a half-decent human being. His brothers worried over him, but he kept brushing it off, all the while sinking deeper into the hole he was digging for himself. 

Until that day. It wasn’t a peculiar day, nothing important about it. There were some routine meetings planned and a bunch of paperwork to go through, but aside from that there was nothing special about it.

Until the moment the whole office went dead silent while he was discussing some numbers with Izo. It was sudden enough to bring his attention away from the conversation, and as he turned his head to search for the cause, his brain seemed to scatter into a million pieces.

Ace.

Ace, looking no worse for wear than he had the last time, but no better either. 

Ace, crossing the office straight to him. Marco had to consciously make an effort to close his mouth and make his heart beat again. 

There was a small treacherous spark of hope that he didn’t know if he should nurture or snuff out before it burned him alive.

“You’re a fucking ass,” Ace said when he finally stopped right in front of Marco, meeting his eyes for the first time since this whole mess started. Marco’s mouth was suddenly very dry.

“I know,” he said and it came out hoarse and shaky. He breathed in and out, before continuing with more certainty. “Feel free to punch me in the face, if you think it’ll make you feel better, eh.”

And Ace did. 

Ace wasn’t a weak man. He worked out enough to be a dangerous opponent, and a direct punch from him could easily break someone’s cheekbone, or at least shake some teeth loose. This one didn’t. It would leave a bruise, yes, and he bit his lip hard enough to split it, but that was it. Marco deserved much worse than that, and might have said so if he hadn’t seen the look on Ace’s face.

He was stricken. His eyes seemed wide and lost, locked onto the sight of Marco’s bleeding lip. The anger seemed to have completely slipped away from him, leaving behind uncertainty and something so very fragile. 

Marco pulled a hand up to brush the drop of blood away and looked into Ace’s eyes, searching.

“Do you feel better now?” He asked, and suddenly felt so very tired. 

“No,” Ace’s voice was weak and shaky. 

“I’m sorry,” Marco tried again. It brought Ace’s eyes up to his own.

“That… makes it a little better,” he said haltingly. Then he squared his jaw once more. “But you’d have to say it a shit load of times to make up for that.”

“I will,” Marco said almost too fast, his heart jumping in his chest. If Ace would forgive him, if there was the smallest chance to correct this, he’d do anything. He almost reached out again, but no, not like this, he couldn’t push Ace too far, not if the younger man wasn’t certain yet if he could forgive him. 

“You really didn’t mean it?” Ace shifted just that little bit closer to him, looking almost hesitant now.

“Not a word of it,” Marco insisted, willing Ace to believe this, if he would never believe anything else.

“Then why won’t you touch me?” He asked and there was something like desperation in his eyes.

Marco’s unstable control snapped, and he all but threw himself at Ace, wrapping him in his arms and pulling him close dragging him into his embrace with such force he didn’t think Ace could have pulled away if he’d tried. 

He didn’t. His body was rigid, hard and unwelcoming, but he didn’t pull away. And all Marco could do was hold him and be so very grateful for being given one more chance.


	34. A Spark of Hope (to Burn a Heart)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> **Prompt by** : [officialsabo](http://officialsabo.tumblr.com/)  
>  **Prompt** : luffy(post dressrosa) being sent back in time and hr meets Corazon and tiny law??  
>  **Rating** : T  
>  **Warnings** : Spoilers, Angst, Depressing Thoughts  
>  **Tags** : Canon Compliant, Cora, Luffy, Law, Cora&Law  
> Originally posted [here](http://silmil-of-erebor.tumblr.com/post/124985578354/ooh-luffypost-dressrosa-being-sent-back-in-time).

It had been a few months now since they’d started on their journey and Cora was getting seriously annoyed. 

Doctors were supposed to be professional and caring, to look after their patience before anything else. How was it that wherever they went, they were met with terror and discrimination? What would start as a warm welcome at the sight of his money, would so very quickly turn into screams of horror when they realized what was wrong with Law.

It was starting to really get under his skin. How was it that his cursed brother, a man who was as far from a doctor as one could get, had the common knowledge of this disease, while the damned _professionals_ couldn’t be bothered to entertain the idea that it might not be as deadly contagious as they had heard? 

Cora had wanted to burn that damn hospital down to the ground. He remembers the pain sparking in his chest the first time Law had started crying and telling him to let it go. The boy was exhausted and he was so very tired of being treated like a monster. Like a piece of filth that only existed to spread disease. 

He’d begged Cora to let it go, to let him die already, _please Cora-san, it hurts so bad, I can’t take it anymore, just let me- let me_ …

It had broken his heart in so many pieces to see him suffering so. Law, who’d gone through so much, who had been kicked by the cruelty of life time and time again until he learned to kick back. Would this world not give him one damn lucky break? 

But Cora couldn’t give up. He still remembered with striking clarity, when Law had stood in front of his brother, bruised and battered, and declared that he didn’t believe in anything. If that was true, if the hits life had landed on him had truly broken him so completely, then that was just another reason to fight harder.  
Cora had to keep enough faith for both of them.

But it was so hard. Watching Law waste away day after day, the white splotches now overtaking so much of his skin, the pain he was feeling making it hard for him to function some days… It was tearing Cora apart to see him suffer like this.   
He wasn’t sure if he had it in him to truly hold his faith. Watching Law die might be the one thing that actually broke him. 

Not being hunted like a beast, not watching his mother and father die one after the other, not even seeing his brother fall so far that he was hardly even human anymore… None of the countless cruelties of life had been able to break him, but Law…

He had to save Law. He’d become so invested in him, so completely attached to the child, he needed to take him away from this ugly world and wrap him into a warm cocoon of safety and nurture the goodness in his heart. He wanted to help him find his faith again. 

But how could he, when the only people who could help him kept turning their backs to them after barely a glance? 

There was a sound a few feet away from him, and Cora stretched a bubble of silence around the boy almost on instinct. It had taken Law so long to finally find sleep, and now that he was resting he couldn’t risk anything waking him up, not when his body needed all the strength it could get. 

Cora focused on the intruder, and saw a peculiar looking young man with a strawhat turning around in confusion. Where had he even come from? He gently laid the feather coat over Law to keep him warm, and stood up. 

“Hey who are you and-“ he had to steady himself when he tripped over a rock, before he continued. “- and what the hell are you doing here?”

The guy looked at him with curious eyes and laughed, “Haha, you really do look like a clown!”

Cora took offense at that comment and was just about to maybe kick the brat a little, when he looked around him and seemed to spot Law.

“Ah! Trafal-guy!” The kid exclaimed and flung himself around Cora, so the taller man grabbed him by the back of his collar and held him away from the sleeping kid. 

“If you wake him I’ll kick your ass so hard,” Cora began, but the man just spoke over him.

“Wah, he’s so tiny, where’s the rest of him?” 

“Under the coat, obviously! Who the hell _are_ you?” Cora shook the man by his hold on his shirt which seemed to grab a bit of his attention. 

“Monkey D. Luffy!” He declared with a grin. “The man who’ll become the Pirate King!”

“D. …” Cora’s grip slackened in his surprise. Another one? He’d been so shocked to discover Law was a D., but to have another one just walk up to him like this… 

The young man grabbed the opportunity his distraction provided and slipped from his grip, plopping himself cross-legged on the edge of the coat, luckily far enough from Law to not disturb the silence bubble around him. 

Cora stepped towards him hesitantly, uncertain of what to do. There was a warm look on his face where he looked at Law, like a close friend. But Law didn’t have any friends, everyone he knew was a part of the family, and the rest had died with his country… 

“In 13 years,” the pirate suddenly spoke again. “Me and Trafal-guy are gonna kick Doffy’s ass so bad he won’t be getting up again.” He declared and a wide grin made his face shine with happiness. Cora found himself speechless. Was this… for real? There was something in the way the boy had said it that held such complete certainty it confused Cora.

He made his way closer, resuming his seat by Law’s side, and looking into Luffy’s face as he said:

“Tell me what you mean by that.”

A few hours later Monkey D. Luffy dissolved into a mist before Cora’s very eyes, leaving behind him confusion and something very much like hope aching in Cora’s chest.

In 13 years they would defeat Doffy. But more importantly, in 13 years Law would still be alive. 

Cora decided that even if that had been a vision, a delusion, a hallucination, it was enough. It was enough to give him hope, and to remind him how to have faith. Law would make it. He would survive this, and he would become something great. 

He looked down at the sleeping child, burrowed so deep into his black coat that he could barely see any part of him, and smiled. He would give all he had to make that possibility a fact.


	35. Hiding Under

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> **Prompt by** : [fantwirls](http://fantwirls.tumblr.com/)  
>  **Prompt** : How about a sequel of the cat-verse? Where Cora-san does visit them on sunday and both him and Sabo caught Law and Luffy doing cute cat adventuring/cat play/cat snuggles/cat batting at insects/anything?  
>  **Rating** : G  
>  **Warnings** : None  
>  **Tags** : Modern AU: Characters as Cats, Luffy, Law, Sabo, Cora, ASL Brothers, Cora&Law  
>  **Sequel to** [Chapter 25: Home for the Unwilling ](http://archiveofourown.org/works/4325103/chapters/9914570)  
>  Originally posted [here](http://silmil-of-erebor.tumblr.com/post/125085223324/omgggg-so-cute-thank-you-how-about-a-sequel-of).

Luffy liked Law.

He’d been _so_ happy when Sabo – great, awesome Sabo who always gave him so much food and played with him and petted him and bought him new things and was wonderful and made of sunshine and starlight – had brought him over the first time! 

Because, yes, he loved Sabo and he loved the house and his toys and all the places in his home where he could have amazing adventures, but he’d always wanted someone to have those adventures with! Sabo, for all that he was happy to play with Luffy, couldn’t fit under the couch, and Ace, who’d actually tried that one time, had stopped coming a while ago.

Luffy missed Ace. He didn’t know why he wasn’t around anymore, but there had been that one time when Sabo had come home so very sad and wrapped himself around Luffy and cried into his fur. Ace hadn’t come back after that. Sabo still got that sad look when Luffy would play with the smiling-face toy Ace had given him, so he’d always bring it to Sabo – maybe he wanted to play with it, too? – only to have the man scoop him up in his arms and proceed to squeeze him until Luffy complained. 

But no, Sabo couldn’t fit under the couch, and Ace didn’t come along anymore (besides, he hadn’t managed to fit under it either), and there were all the _other_ awesome places that he couldn’t go because humans were so _big_. And Luffy wanted someone to show around and to chase across the tops of the cupboards and to try opening the windows with.

Sabo opened the windows and the doors often, but he would also stand in Luffy’s way when he tried to go out so that wasn’t fun. 

Law was bigger than him, but not like the big humans were, so that was fine. He could fit under the couch!

But he didn’t seem to _want_ to go under the couch, which really confused Luffy. He also didn’t like Luffy’s straw hat, but that was ok, because it was Luffy’s and he liked it enough for both of them. 

Law was also this really cool light beige color with white spots on his head and Luffy loved climbing all over him and leaving his own black hairs all over. They stood out like on Sabo’s favorite white blanket and made Law look very funny and disgruntled until he managed to wash them away.

It reminded Luffy of when he’d first come to the house and explored everything. There were so many places (like under the couch) that left him grey in places that he’d used to be black before he went in, and he loved trying to change color completely. The grey fell off soon, though, unfortunately, and that one time Ace had come over and him and Sabo had moved the couch for a while and Luffy didn’t get grey when he went under it anymore. He hadn’t been very happy about that.

But Law loved leaving his lighter hairs all over Sabo’s suits and jackets and coats and hats – all the black things he wore that Luffy’s own hairs seemed to magically disappear from no matter how much he rolled over them. 

And Law was fun, so Luffy liked that. He would fight with Luffy and chase him all around, and he had figured out how to open some of the doors, too! He also started calling for Sabo early in the morning and Luffy would wake up to play with him, because he was probably just lonely. 

Sometimes Sabo came back smelling like smoke – Law had smelled the same for a long while after he first came, but the scent was mostly gone by now – but not the way Ace had smelled like smoke. It was similar, but different. Sabo wasn’t usually very happy when he came back, so Law, because he was great like that, always went to snuggle with him and make him feel better. Luffy tried too, but for some reason Law would always leave when Sabo picked him up as well. 

Then one day, there was a new person, and he smelled so much like that smoke that it made Luffy’s nose twitch. He’d ran to the door when he heard it opening and had been just about to go get Law because _Sabo was Back!_ , when he’d seen the new person.

He was _gigantic_ – bigger than Sabo even, and had a _very_ black coat. Luffy wondered if his hairs would disappear from it, too?

Before he could go and greet this new person, though, Law dashed through the house and all but jumped up the stranger’s leg, mewling loudly to be picked up. The stranger laughed and bent down, grabbing Law into his arms and giving him the biggest hug, and Luffy could hear Law purring contentedly from all the way down where he was. 

He liked this new person!

So he went to introduce himself, twirling around his feet and rubbing his body into him, only to somehow trip him and send both him and Law crashing to the ground. Law hissed at him in annoyance and ducked under the man’s coat, and Luffy thought that looked fun, so he chased after him. After all, there was a lot of coat!


	36. Breathing Fire

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> **Prompt by** : [fantwirls](http://fantwirls.tumblr.com/)  
>  **Prompt** : what if in the near future Dragon and Luffy finally meet face-to-face? How will their reunion be?  
>  **Rating** : G  
>  **Warnings** : None  
>  **Tags** : Canon Divergence, Reunion, Luffy, Sabo, Ace, Dragon, ASL Brothers  
>  **Sequel to** [Chapter 27: On Unknown Grounds](http://archiveofourown.org/works/4325103/chapters/9933014)  
>  Originally posted [here](http://silmil-of-erebor.tumblr.com/post/125101487289/a-less-hectic-prompt-what-if-in-the-near-future).

“When I left,” Sabo stood straight-backed with his head held high, facing Dragon without a hint of hesitation. 

He’d known this was coming, and admittedly he was times more worried about it than the entire raid on Marineford. The Marines were powerful, but they’d had Whitebeard’s entire fleet to deal with, together with some lunatics Luffy managed to drag out of Impel Down, so the Revolutionary Army was just there to tip the scales. When he’d seen Iva and the rest Sabo had been convinced he hadn’t really been needed – he was pretty sure the two pirate captains could have managed it, but he’d needed to be certain.

Now Ace was safe. Sure, he was bruised and battered, and Luffy was still passed out days later, but they were both in Baltigo’s top medical professionals’’ hands, so they would be perfectly fine. 

Sabo, on the other hand, had to face his biggest threat yet. 

“When I left,” Dragon said again not breaking eye contact for a moment. “the Revolutionary Army was not in open war with the Marines.” His presence was so very heavy in the room even Sabo had to put effort not to cower before it. “And we did not house over a dozen pirate crews in our _secret_ headquarters.”

Yeah, well, Whitebeard’s allies had suffered a lot of damage, too. Sabo had already compromised things enough at that point – a little bit more didn’t seem like it would matter.

“When you left,” Sabo offered in turn, “I didn’t know my brother was being executed.”

“Brother.” Dragon said. “Is he of the family you begged me to take you away from? Is that who you did this for?”

“ _No_!” Sabo said vehemently. “He’s nothing like them, he could never be like-“ he cut himself off and bit his lower lip to keep it in. Putting Ace in the same group with his parents was insulting beyond imagination. “He’s the first person I ever made a meaningful connection with,” he settled on in the end. “And we shared oaths of brotherhood over cups of sake.” Then he looked back into Dragon’s eyes with a hard look of his own. “Together with your son.”

“My son?”

“Luffy.” Sabo gave him a look. “Don’t try to deny it, the whole world knows by now.”

“Ah, him,” Dragon said, unimpressed. Sabo couldn’t tell if the man had really been confused as to who he was talking about, or this was one of those moments when everything seemed as simple to Dragon as it was confusing to the rest of them. 

A funny thought suddenly struck him.

“Given that I’m Luffy’s brother,” he raised an eyebrow at the Revolutionary Army’s leader. “I think that technically makes me your son, too.” Dragon didn’t deem that with an answer. Instead, his eyes traveled towards his closed office door and an air of expectancy settled around them. 

Sabo sensed them a moment later, and then he _heard_ them:

“-AAAAAAABBBBOOOOOOOO!”

“STOP YELLING YOU MORON! I am terribly sorry, please excuse my little bro- COME BACK HERE!”

“SABOOOOOOOOOOOO!”

“DAMMIT LUFFY WILL YOU STOP YELLING!?”

“WHERE ARE YOUUUUUUUUUUUUUU???”

“STRAWHAT-BOY YOU CAN’T GO IN THERE!”

And then the door burst open. 

Luffy, wide-eyed and grinning from ear to ear crashed through it, flinging himself into the room and passing a rather startled-looking Iva on the way. He was covered in bandages everywhere, but it didn’t seem to stop him from throwing himself into Sabo’s arms and laughing maniacally. 

It was only then that Sabo realized one of his arms was being stretched from probably a few rooms away, before it suddenly snapped forward and Ace came crashing into the two of them and toppling them into a heap on the floor of Dragon’s office. 

Sabo couldn’t find a reason to be indignant, because there were his brothers bickering and laughing on top of him and there was no greater happiness than what he was experiencing. 

Ace grabbed him by the collar, able to really see him for the first time aside from the shock he’d gotten on the battle field, and dragged him into a bone-crushing hug that Luffy decided to join by winding himself around the two of them and snickering gleefully. Sabo couldn’t find his breath through his laughter. His brothers were well, they were alive, and they were _here_. 

“We were having a conversation,” Dragon said from across the room, with Iva looking uncertain beside him. Sabo made an effort to drag himself and his brothers back to their feet, even as they kept supporting each other all the way up. 

“I think some introductions are in order?” Sabo smiled his most winning smile at him and nudged the shoulder Ace was leaning against. “This is Portgas D. Ace, my reason for turning the Army on its head,” he said unapologetically. “And this,” he turned to his brother and nodded at Dragon with his head, “Is Luffy’s dad.”

“My Dragon dad?” Luffy asked from his other side and there seemed to be stars in his eyes. “Can you breathe fire?” He asked, excitedly.

“He’s not an actual dragon, Luffy!” Sabo explained just as Ace said:

“I can!” 

And proceeded to do just that, releasing a fireball in the middle of the room and setting the carpet on fire.

“WHAT DID YOU DO THAT FOR!?” Sabo shrieked as Luffy laughed.

“Ace is so COOL!!!”

In the ensuing chaos none of them noticed the small fond smile stretching over Dragon’s face. Which was good, because he had a reputation to sustain.


	37. Small Steps

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> **Prompt by** : [fantwirls](http://fantwirls.tumblr.com/)  
>  **Prompt** : before the Hearts Pirates were established it had only been Law and Bepo.  
>  **Rating** : G  
>  **Warnings** : None  
>  **Tags** : Canon Compliant, Meetings, Law, Bepo  
> Originally posted [here](http://silmil-of-erebor.tumblr.com/post/125190174324/prompt-before-the-hearts-pirates-were).

“Hm? Are you alive?”

He didn’t know the voice and the words and anything. His mama was not here and she couldn’t tell him and he was starting to think she was gone just like papa. But if mama went as well, what was he supposed to do?

He opened his eyes and saw a lone figure. He was one of those humans that mama and papa warned him about, looking down at him. He was tiny for a human though. 

He stirred a little, trying to stand up. Mama had taken so long with the food, though, and he hadn’t gotten to eat in a long time. Would this human give him some food?

It took a little effort to place his paws under his body and he stepped closer. The human’s bag smelled of meat and he was so very hungry.

“You don’t look like you’ll be for very long.” 

He nudged at the bag trying to figure out a way to get inside. He was so hungry and tired, why wasn’t mama back with food?

“You want to stay alive though, don’t you? You want to live?”

He lifted one paw to bat at the cover of the bag. If he could just get it to open, if he could just eat something he’d feel better and he’d be able to find mama…

The human reached down and removed his claws from the bag, before he did something strange with his long fingers and opened it. He was just about to press his nose in there to find something to eat, when the human pulled the food out and offered it.

“Here, you can have this. This way we’ll both stay alive, yeah? Cause I get to live now. I just… I don’t know what to do with this life.”

The human sat by him as he ate, looking lost. He decided he liked him. Mama was gone, but maybe the human would be able to get him more food!

——

It was strange, being on something other than solid ground. But Law had stepped onto this wooden thing, and he didn’t want to lose Law. Law was nice and kind, but a bit sad and he wanted to make him feel better, like he’d made him feel better by feeding him. 

“You really wanna come with me, hm?” 

He didn’t understand what Law was saying, but he thought it was important so he tried. Human languages were hard. But they were still easier on a full stomach, and he had a full stomach thanks to Law.

“I’m going pretty far, you know.”

He looked around. The wooden thing was very small, smaller than mama’s den. But Law was smaller than mama, so he wouldn’t need a bigger place, right?

“I don’t know where… But it’s gonna be far. Far, far away from here.”

He thought it was strange that Law didn’t have any other humans. Mama always said that humans went everywhere in groups. Maybe Law’s humans didn’t come back like mama and papa?

“Let’s go, then.”

—–

Bepo – it’s what Law called him. A name, he’d said. He was happy with just being himself, he didn’t understand why he needed to be called in a special way. But then, Law was Law, not just a human anymore, so maybe he understood a little.

Bepo didn’t like the sea. It was too big and too wavy and it didn’t let him sleep peacefully. But at least it had a lot of fish in it! 

Law liked fish too, and he was a little bit happier when Bepo caught some for him. Bepo liked seeing him happier. 

They didn’t always stay on the sea, they would reach other islands and walk on the ground again, and Bepo liked having it under his paws. 

He followed Law everywhere, like he’d followed mama, and tried to learn from him, but Law did everything so differently. It was strange, how he always stood on two feet, how he talked to other humans, how he put on clothes because he didn’t have fur. 

Bepo was starting to understand the things Law said to him. He knew how to shake his head for no and nod it for yes. Law was a patient teacher and tried to help him understand more. 

But language was too difficult for Bepo, so he decided he’d start somewhere else. The first time he stood on two feet, Law’s smile was blinding.

—–

Law wanted to set sail today, but it really wasn’t a good idea. Bepo could smell the wind coming in and bringing a lot of snow. They really shouldn’t be on the sea tonight. 

People called these storms. He needed to warn Law, but he was so very certain they need to go now… 

But Law couldn’t swim, and Bepo wasn’t big enough to pull him from the water if he fell out of the boat!

He walked – still so shaky and strange, on only two feet, and attached his claws to Law’s pants.

“What’s the matter, Bepo?” 

He pulled at him, tried to keep him on the ground. They had to stay, if he could just make him understand… 

“We really should set sail already, what- Bepo, what?”

Bepo opened his mouth and tried to shape the words he’d heard so many times.

“Are you trying to tell me something?”

He nodded , opening his mouth again and hearing a strange sound leave it. He tried again. And again. And then he finally said it.

“Storm.”

—–

Traveling with Law was fun. He’d grown taller than him now, knew how to walk on two feet, how to use his paws carefully like a human would. He knew how to talk, and that had proved so very useful, despite the strange looks he still got from people all around. 

He liked it. He liked the sea, and he liked that he could read it. He was useful to Law and he made Law smile when they talked. 

“Hey, Bepo!” Law turned to him with a soft look on his face. “What do you think about “Heart Pirates”?”

“Are there pirates?” He looked around the side of the boat, but he hadn’t smelled anything new around.

“We’re pirates, Bepo. Remember how we beat those idiots back in the last island?” Law laughed at his confusion.

Law was also teaching him to fight and Bepo loved learning things from Law.

“Oh. Ok, then.”

Soon after Law hung their first Joly Roger on top of their ship. They were the Heart Pirates, then. But Bepo would always remember that they used to be Law and Bepo first.


	38. Marriage Trouble

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> **Prompt by** : [fantwirls](http://fantwirls.tumblr.com/)  
>  **Prompt** : crack au, in which Hancock asks Sabo for Luffy's hand  
>  **Rating** : G  
>  **Warnings** : None  
>  **Tags** : Modern AU, Hancock, Luffy, Sabo, ASL, onesided LuHan  
> Originally posted [here](http://silmil-of-erebor.tumblr.com/post/125249702909/prompt-crack-au-in-which-hancock-asks-sabo-for).

“I’m getting married!” She called, bringing her sisters’ attention to herself where it belonged. 

“Sis?” Sandersonia turned wide eyes at her in confusion, but Hancock twirled on her heel in delight and flung herself on the couch. Just thinking about it was making her blush.

“Gay marriage is still illegal, dearest sister,” Marigold contributed and Hancock could hit her for assuming she’d ever marry someone who wasn’t her beautiful precious prince-

Well, if he’d been a girl she would’ve found a way to merry her, regardless, but that was beside the point.

“I’m not marrying a woman,” she scoffed and that really attracted the two’s attention. 

“Do you mean-“

“You can’t be serious!”

“He’s the most brilliant human walking, he can lift mountains and do miracles without lifting his finger,” she sighed as she thought of her beloved: wonderful and handsome and perfect. “He’s not like _other men_ ,” she spat the words like a curse and loved him just that much more for being different. “He’s perfect!” 

Lost in the fantasy of her wedding day, she never saw her sisters exchanging concerned looks. 

——

Only thing was, Luffy didn’t seem interested in marrying her. That was fine, she’d find a way to make it happen, she would have his hand in marriage if it was the last thing she did! 

So in-between her heated posts against those cursed oppressors of their great femininity, she slipped a few questions to some of her most loyal followers: _How do you get someone to marry you?_

She tried everything they proposed, and the only thing that seemed to have any effect at all was cooking him something. Luffy had been so happy he’d hugged her and she’d almost fainted on the spot. 

She lived for the touch of his hands around her, wrapping tightly and securely. She longed for his kiss, although she wasn’t certain she’d even live through it. If being hugged by him felt so wonderful, surely anything else would be a taste of heaven!

Still, no matter how often she would bring him food he wouldn’t say yes. She needed to take drastic measures. 

Good thing Luffy had brothers!

—–

“I want your blessing!” she declared, not two steps inside the room. The blond man looked up at her, looked her up and down like the filthy pig he was, and then looked her in the face again.

“I’m sorry?” He asked. She hated submerging herself in this male stupidity, but it was a necessary evil to get her precious Luffy to marry her.

“I will marry your brother, so you will give your blessing!” She insisted.

“My… brother?” He looked shocked. “Ok, no, Ace is gayer than Doflamingo’s pink-feathered coat, so… You can’t possibly mean-”

“Luffy is the man of my dreams!” She felt warmth wash through her chest at the very thought of him. “I will love him to the ends of the Earth and beyond!”

“… And what does Luffy think about that?” He looked at her doubtfully. “Cause last time I checked he was acer than Ace is gay, and that’s saying something.”

“He still hasn’t said yes, but he’ll come around!” She exclaimed with all the certainty in the world, and never even understood why she got kicked out of the building. 

That was fine. Luffy still had one brother left!


	39. Pick and Choose

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> **Prompt by** : [fantwirls](http://fantwirls.tumblr.com/)  
>  **Prompt** : Sanji and Law, picky food eaters  
>  **Rating** : G  
>  **Warnings** : None  
>  **Tags** : Canon Compliant, Food, Law, Sanji, Strawhats&Law  
> Originally posted [here](http://silmil-of-erebor.tumblr.com/post/125325379114/prompt-sanji-and-law-picky-food-eaters).

“I hate bread!” Law called as the rowdy crew was slipping into the kitchen, but no one heard him. Well, no one but the one who mattered.

Sanji was a spectacular chef – he’d cooked his entire life and he’d learned a lot of things about people’s tastes. He didn’t get offended when someone didn’t like his food, not really, because he knew one dish could never suit every palate and people were allowed their preferences. 

That didn’t mean he didn’t like the challenge of finding a way to make them eat what they hated, and enjoy it too. It was a way to test his originality and improve his cooking abilities as he was improving everything else. Being a cook was his life’s work, after all. It was his calling and his passion. 

Sanji liked a challenge. 

So when he served plates upon plates of all imaginable sandwich toppings alongside his own personal special recipes, when he arranged triangle shaped masterpieces, he went all out. With the soft and warm bread he’d baked earlier that morning, there would be no one on the ship who could resist his mastery. 

Still, just in case, he made a few onigiri. He wouldn’t be caught dead forcing someone to eat a thing they despised. If his sandwiches really couldn’t tempt Law into eating them, he would not be left with no other option.

Law didn’t touch the bread.

Sanji grinned around his cigarette and narrowed his eyes in challenge. He wasn’t going to give up so easily. 

For the next days of their travels, Sanji made a point of making all kinds of bread snacks. Be it sweet or salty, be it for breakfast or brunch or afternoon tea or midnight snack, bread became the one thing he went all out on. The loafs he baked every morning turned extravagant beyond belief with melted cheese or nuts sprinkled on top, hot and fluffy and smelling so good they even had Brook drooling over them.

His pastries kept getting more complex and spectacular, having his wonderful Nami-swan and Robin-chwan praising him, and even the stupid moss-head chomping them down with relish. His special steamed pork buns turned into Luffy’s new favorite thing in the world.

Law didn’t venture anywhere near any of it. 

So, Sanji decided to pull back on that and turn on his other approach. He’d only been able to feed Chopper something spicy after he’d figured out how much of a sweet tooth the little doctor had – those chili-pepper chocolates still remained one of his best ideas ever. 

So he observed Law, took notice at the things he chose to add to his food, paid attention at the snacks that caught his eye even if he didn’t have any of them. His observation continued for days, during which he would serve the most varied dishes he could imagine, just to see what the other pirate would choose. 

He came to a few conclusions. Law didn’t care much what he ate most of the time, really. Apparently bread was the only thing he was picky about. He didn’t favor salty food, but he would usually pick out his dessert carefully. 

He liked Sanji’s desserts. 

He usually went for things that weren’t too varied in their tastes – sweet and sour, or sweet and bitter didn’t work for him. He didn’t seek out fruits too much, but didn’t really mind them. He definitely liked nuts, and that one time Sanji had served home-made chocolate bars, he’d gone for the white variety unlike most of the others. He also enjoyed alcohol-based sauces to go with his sweet tooth.

So Sanji made a plan of attack. Pastries wouldn’t do the trick, but he knew a couple of recipes for bread pudding he could work with. He combined them, added some and removed some, worked around the ingredients he really couldn’t get his hands on while sailing. And once he had his mind set on what exactly he would be making, he went to work. 

It took time, it was a delicate recipe that required a lot of attention, but luckily it would be served cold so he didn’t have to juggle it arround everything else he’d be making for dinner. He spent the majority of the afternoon focused on it, trying a couple of variations to decide the one that would be absolute best. 

By the time dinner came along, the entire kitchen smelled of sweet pudding and white chocolate. Chopper couldn’t wait for dessert and kept bouncing on his spot all throughout the meal. Sanji knew that even if this failed to interest Law, at least his crew would enjoy it.

When the time for dessert came along, he presented each with a carefully arranged plate of the treat to excited responses all around.

“Sanji-kun it looks wonderful!” Nami exclaimed, smiling widely. “What is it?”

“Paneed White Chocolate Almond Bread Pudding,” he said and noticed Law looking up at him with a raised eyebrow. He was certain the pirate had noticed his efforts a while ago, but while he hadn’t been confronted about it he didn’t know exactly what Law’s opinion was on the matter. 

He did look at his own plate with interest, though, and raised his fork after only a moment of hesitation.

When his eyes widened after the first bite, Sanji couldn’t help the grin that split his own face. Sweet, sweet victory. 

And when Law bowed his head slightly in defeat while asking for seconds, it was one of the best complements Sanji had ever received.


	40. Professional Hazard

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> **Prompt by** : [fantwirls](http://fantwirls.tumblr.com/)  
>  **Prompt** : the mini adventures Tony Tony Chopper and Law will get themselves in  
>  **Rating** : T  
>  **Warnings** : None  
>  **Tags** : Canon Compliant, Doctors, Law, Chopper, Strawhats&Law  
> Originally posted [here](http://silmil-of-erebor.tumblr.com/post/125582793304/prompt-the-mini-adventures-tony-tony-chopper-and).

Law didn’t hold much respect towards doctors. He vaguely rememberd his earliest years, filled with reverence and admiration for his parents’ profession and the unstoppable drive to one day follow in their footsteps and be the best doctor the world has seen.

Those dreams had burned with the hospital and were later efficiently trampled by the careless cruelty of all the so-called ‘medical specialists’ Cora-san brought him to in his efforts to save him. 

Law recognized it was a difficult profession, one that required much practice and knowledge, and a sharp and fast mind. However, he would never fall into the trap of thinking every doctor was a good doctor. In fact, he found it hard to believe that a good doctor even existed anymore. 

He didn’t consider himself a doctor. A surgeon, maybe, but that was different. He’d started slacking in his studies when Cora-san had died and he’d gotten to live. There was little that really interested him in medicine anymore. He just did it because it was a useful skill: he could use it to his advantage, and he would take any advantage he had.

So, he had no reason to form any kind of interest in the Strawhats’ little Zoan doctor. The kid – because he _was_ a kid, maybe even younger than he himself had been when he first met Doflamingo – was a mess of quirky behavior and insecurities and, frankly, Law wouldn’t feel comfortable touching that with a ten-foot pole. 

Unfortunately, when the lawn was overly rowdy with everyone there technically guarding Caesar, he wanted somewhere to take a small break. So he decided to roam the ship, and eventually found himself in the infirmary. 

The occupied infirmary.

“Just stay still, Usopp, I need to cover this.”

“It hurts so bad I’m gonna diiiiiie!”

“You’re not gonna die, it was just a minor chemical burn! Why were you messing with those things anyway?”

“I was building a weapon that could destroy an entire world!”

“Really? An entire world? With just ONE weapon?”

He considered walking away when he heard the inane chatter from inside, but unfortunately the little doctor spied him through the open door and waved him in. 

“Ah! Law! Did you need something?” 

“Not particularly,” he said and then spotted the books piled on the desk. Maybe he could find something to pass the time with there. “Tony-ya,” he turned to the small doctor. “Would you mind if I borrow some of these?” he gestured towards the books.

“Oh, of course! Is there anything specific you’re interested in? There are more books in the-“ he was interrupted by the longnose’ squeak of protest when one of the bandages was pulled too tight. “Sorry, sorry! You should check the library, most of my books are there!”

“These will be more than enough,” he offered and stepped into the room to look through the tomes. He might not truly be interested in medicine, but knowledge was power and there were many ways to tone his skills. He’d make the best of this trip with the Strawhats in any way he could.

“Ouch-ouch- _ouch_ Chopper that huuuuuurts!” 

The sharpshooter’s whining was like an annoying itching under his skin, grating on his nerves. He sent him one of the looks that never failed to make Baby 5 cry, and the infirmary was suddenly so very quiet. 

Law picked out two more complex books detailing little-known surgical techniques, and left the infirmary with barely a glance back. Vaguely he wondered what the little doctor even did when they weren’t all risking their lives in the middle of a fight. 

He got his answer later that day when an impressive fight broke out between the cook and the swordsman. He’d been informed these were rather routine, in fact it would be a strange day without one breaking out, but this one seemed to exceed the norm. 

Just as the greenhead was being kicked out onto the lawn, Sanji stepped out of his domain with murder in his eyes and a flaming kitchen behind him. 

“Do you have any fucking idea how much food you just made me _waste_ you shit-for-brains swordsman!?” He roared and charged in, aiming one devastating hit after the other. 

Behind him Luffy dashed into the galley yelling: “I’LL SAVE THE MEAT!” and cackling loudly, only to leave the kitchen with his hands laden with all sorts of food and his sash on fire. Franky was meanwhile trying to put out the burning kitchen and the fight on deck was starting to turn bloody and vicious. 

Law was really regretting his decision to make an alliance with these absolute _morons_. 

When the navigator kicked Strawhat overboard to put out the fire he was carrying around the deck and the newly-bandaged Usopp had to jump in after him, Law couldn’t stop himself from face-palming. 

Admittedly, the looks of horror on all their faces when he used his Devil Fruit abilities to cut Strawhat open to remove the water from his lungs were quite amusing. 

When, only a handful of hours later, the crew was all gathered for dinner, looking perfectly healthy and well with the exception of a few bandages peaking under their clothes, Law decided to reconsider his original opinion of Tony Tony Chopper. Perhaps he might actually _be_ a good doctor.


	41. Swords Play

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> **Prompt by** : [fantwirls](http://fantwirls.tumblr.com/)  
>  **Prompt** : one day, the swordsmen on the Thousand Sunny gather around on the deck and have a serious battle of wits with their swords  
>  **Rating** : T  
>  **Warnings** : Strong Imagery  
>  **Tags** : Canon Compliant, Swords, Law, Zoro, Kin'emon, Brook, Strawhats&Law  
> Originally posted [here](http://silmil-of-erebor.tumblr.com/post/125595694199/prompt-one-day-the-swordsmen-on-the-thousand).

“Hm, I see,” Kin’emon said, finally calm now that he’d gotten himself stuffed full with food again. Maybe the stupid pervert-cook has his uses after all, Zoro figured. The guy had finally listened to what had happened with the sword and was now sitting across from Zoro on Sunny’s lawn while he was slowly running a rag up and down the dark blade. “If you won it fairly, then it is yours,” the samurai allowed and Zoro smiled a little. 

He had no intention of losing this sword. 

Shusui had proven to be so very powerful and useful he wouldn’t give it up without a fight. And it was a part of him now, just like Wado and Sandai Kitetsu had become. The rest of the crew might not understand the bond between a swordsman and his weapon, but if nothing else, he was sure Kin’emon understood. 

“It is a very deadly looking sword,” Brook ventured, walking up to them and managing to carefully fold his long bones into a sitting position as well. 

“Shusui’s never once failed me,” Zoro offered as he carefully finished the cleaning procedure and slid the blade back into its rightful place. “And he’s not the deadly one of the bunch,” he added, wrapping his fingers loosely around Sandai Kitetsu’s handle. 

He could still remember the rush of entrusting his arm, his dream, onto his luck being stronger than this problem child’s curse. It had been spontaneous and rash, and it had felt so very empowering to win. 

“That is a cursed blade, is it not?” Kin’emon asked and Zoro shot him a sharp smile. 

“If any of them will end me, it would be this one,” he answered easily, feeling the familiar thirst for blood in the back of his mind as he kept his arm firmly on the handle. Over two years might have passed, but nothing yet could compare to the elation of bending it to his will, of wielding such an unruly weapon that could just as easily turn on him. Drawing Sandai Kitetsu was a gamble every time. If Zoro slipped, just a little, if he let it dictate his actions instead of him dictating its, then he would be covered in blood, and most likely dead. 

It was a constant test of his will and he loved it. 

“Yoho!” Brook exclaimed a little worried and held his boney fingers tightly around his cane. “Such dangerous weapons you wield, Zoro-san!”

“He’ll be fine, unless he lets his weapons wield him,” a voice cut in from the side and made the tree swordsmen turn towards Trafalgar Law, still sitting in that very same spot, but suddenly attentive to their conversation. Zoro had noticed the man didn’t partake in many discussions if not invited in, so he found this sudden interest suspicious. He still didn’t trust the guy.

“Oh?” He asked and raised an eyebrow. “What do you know of cursed swords?” 

Steel-gray eyes locked onto his own and Zoro held his gaze unflinching. A slow smile spread across Trafalgar’s mouth, before he reached out and wrapped one hand around his nodachi. Something dark and cold flashed in his eyes then, there and gone again in an instant, and Zoro reacted quickly as the sheathed blade was thrown at him. 

He reached out and snatched it out of the air, his broad palm stretching over the large sword and-

And he felt it, cold and chilled, like an icy tongue licking up his arm and sucking all warmth from his chest. Then there was the taste of ash in his mouth and then- 

Then he _heard_ them. A million voices screaming death and punishment and revenge into the back of his mind. A sensation no weaker than Sandai Kitetsu, and yet different. Where Sandai Kitetsu longed for blood, this one longed for _death_. It was quite the weapon for someone who rarely used it as anything but a prop in his party tricks.

“That’s quite the curse this one’s got,” Zoro allowed, still sensing it dig its hooks into him and call: _death, death, revenge, end, destruction, death, give me death._

“Kikoku,” Trafalgar offered, leaning back in his seat and opening his stance while sending Zoro a challenging look. “She’s said to have been soaked into the blood of demons for so long that she now carries their voices.” Oh, Zoro could believe that. He thought of wielding this monster into a fight, of hearing it egg him on faster, harder, until all that mattered was the draining of his opponent’s life. This wasn’t a blade he could ever use, not if he wanted to achieve his goal. “Lovely isn’t she?” 

“Quite,” he grinned right up at Trafalgar, sharp like a blade, and threw the weapon back at him. He couldn’t help the jibe that followed. “That’s quite the fanclub you have cheering you on it battle.” His arm still felt cold, like the phantom touch of that curse remained with him. 

“What can I say?” Trafalgar answered his grin with one of his own, cruel and bloodthirsty. “She speaks to a part of me I can’t ignore.”

Zoro didn’t like this alliance one bit.


	42. The Seven Days of Med School

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> **Prompt by** : [sasariousss](http://sasariousss.tumblr.com/)  
>  **Prompt** : Law cramming for his medical exams and Cora-san being a wonderful dad to law  
>  **Rating** : T  
>  **Warnings** : None  
>  **Tags** : Modern AU, Exams, Law, Cora, Cora&Law  
> Originally posted [here](http://silmil-of-erebor.tumblr.com/post/125679401144/modern-au-law-cramming-for-his-medical-exams-and).

Law was flying through Med School like he was born to do it. Not that Rosinante had ever doubted it, the kid was brilliant beyond compare. It wasn’t the stupid kind that caught his brother’s attention, after all.

He was just happy Law had pulled away from Doflamingo and chosen to make his own way in the world. He was smart and capable and Rosinante had no doubt he’d be great one day. He didn’t need Doflamingo’s blood money to achieve that. 

So, Law had moved in with him almost three years ago now, and enrolled in university, passing his exams with flying colors and having scholarships thrown at his feet every way he turned He’d chosen the one  university that suited him best and he was on his way to a brilliant future. 

He was busy, yes, but it didn’t even seem to register to him that other people struggled with their studies. Rosinante had been impressed by the kid’s genius. 

Then, exams had come along. 

The first semester had been a shock to Rosinante’s system. It had left him worried and concerned, knocking on Law’s door and incurring the younger’s wrath with his distractions. He’d gotten yelled at a number of times until he finally learned what to do and what not to do during these exceedingly intense sessions. 

By now he knew Law’s routine by heart. 

He’d start cramming for the exams exactly a week before the day. That way he had a strict seven-day schedule that he kept to unerringly.

On day one, Rosinante would come home to his living room being completely taken over by books, notes, notebooks, medical journals and printouts of any kind. In the middle of the destruction would be Law, Shachi, and Penguin arguing and discussing, checking and rechecking, making sure they had all the information they might ever need for the exam in triplicate. 

Rosinante would slip in unnoticed while they threw 5000 page tomes at each other and cursed the existence of professors. He’d order Chinese, knowing their preferences well, and leave it on the table in the kitchen before going to his room so to not disturb them. 

On the morning of day two, he’d usually step out from his room to see Law, looking like a caffeinated zombie, staring into a textbook thicker than his head, Shachi with his head laid down on some notes sobbing hysterically and Penguin writing furiously on a piece of paper, mumbling under his breath something like: “ _Dermis. Why is it called dermis? Why did someone suddenly decide to call it that? What does that even mean? It’s freaking skin you morons, stop calling it by a fucking thing that’s not even a word. Latin is a dead language, how can it still be such a pain in my ass!? Someone should make sure fucking dead languages stay fucking dead._ ”

Somewhere about lunch, when his friends had turned into more of a distraction than help, Law would kick them out (Shachi would at that point be over his hysterics and in the _‘It wouldn’t really matter if I didn’t pass, would it?’_ stage, and Penguin would be cursing every language that had ever come into existence) and return to the living room to collect his books and notes. 

He would select a few heavy tomes with a rainbow’s worth of page markers peeking out of every side, gather a plethora of papers covered in colorful writing and leave the rest of the destruction behind as he locked himself in his room to not see any daylight for three days. 

Rosinante would gather up after him, having learned by then which books were most likely to belong to each of the boys, and prepare them for whenever Shachi and Penguin found the strength to come and gather them. He would spend the rest of the day admiring Shachi’s artistic doodling and laughing at Penguin’s written down horror of their studies, before picking up the rest of the mess and proceeding to make himself some food. 

He tried very carefully not to set anything on fire during those three days, and he mostly succeeded. Just in case, he stored the papers in the part of the house with no sprinklers and made sure that if the fire department _did_ get called, they wouldn’t disturb Law.

Days three, four and five, Law would spend as a ghost. Rosinante made sure there was constantly a brewing pot of coffee and that nothing bothered him otherwise. He was fairly sure that Law _did_ , indeed, leave his room, given that the man would drink his own weight in coffee in that short period, but he managed to do it so quickly, or at such odd hours, that Rosinante wouldn’t see him until the sixth day. He usually took these days to catch up on a bit of work and always kept impressive amounts of fruit in the kitchen. Law couldn’t be bothered to eat anything more time-consuming than an apple, but at least that way he ate _something_. 

Day six was always the most bizarre, and even so many years later Rosinante still found himself a little disturbed by it. On day six, Law, looking like a very big animal had chewed him up, spit him out, and then jumped on the crumpled mess just for kicks, would emerge from his room and roam the entire house in a daze, holding a different sheet of paper every time Rosinante saw him. He would mumble under his breath about enzymes and bones and neurons, drugs and procedures, and he would have these very peculiar moments when he’d stare into Rosinante’s face and declare with a complete lack of inflation or expression that smoking would kill him, providing in gruesome medical detail _exactly_ how his lungs would rot from the inside out. Or how his face-paint would give him skin cancer. Or how his constant tripping would one day lead to his horrible death by fracture of one-thing-or-another. 

It would be the first he’s spoken to Rosinante in 5 days, and it would always be deeply disturbing. 

To this day, the most worrying thing that had come out of his mouth was that theory that if he cut open Doflamingo and Rosinante’s sculls and compared their brains, he’d be able to end all questions about the physical manifestation of psychopathy.  

Day six would end with him crashing in his room and sleeping like the dead. He’d only crawl out long after lunch on day seven. Day seven was the day he didn’t study, but assimilated everything he’d crammed in his brain. He would spend the majority of it staring blankly into different points in space – be it the handle of the cabinet while he was in the kitchen and Rosinante kept forcing food into him, the second shelf of the bookcase in the living room with Rosinante refilling his water glass, or the ceiling when in the end he’d get sprawled on the couch with his head on Rosinante’s lap and Rosinante’s fingers in his hair. He’d fall asleep there, and Rosinante would bring over pillows and covers to keep him warm and comfortable, because he knew a crick in his neck would ruin his exam the next day.

On the morning of the exam, Law would be miraculously back to normal, as if the last week of hell had never happened. He’d make breakfast, coupled with his usually astronomical amount of thick black coffee, and he’d look like he didn’t have a care in the world. Rosinante loved seeing him like that: confident and sure of himself, knowing full well that he’d give it his absolute best and not needing anyone’s assurances that his best would be enough. 

“Good luck,” Rosinante would say as he followed him towards the door, a smile on his face at Law’s exasperated look.

“Who needs luck?” He would grin cockily and pull on his coat, wrapping it around himself with flourish. “I know all I need to know. That’s enough.”

Rosinante would laugh, pull him into a hug and hold him for as long as Law would allow, before seeing him off and knowing, deep in his heart, that Law really didn’t need any luck. His brilliant mind was all he’d ever need.


	43. Sailing Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> **Prompt by** : [fantwirls](http://fantwirls.tumblr.com/)  
>  **Prompt** : Franky and Law talk about their ships  
>  **Rating** : G  
>  **Warnings** : None  
>  **Tags** : Canon Compliant, Ships, Law, Franky, Thousand Sunny, Heart pirates, Strawhats&Law  
> Originally posted [here](http://silmil-of-erebor.tumblr.com/post/125829533144/prompt-franky-and-law-talk-about-their-ships).

It didn’t take long after leaving Punk Hazard for Law to be drawn into an apparently obligatory trip around the ship. He didn’t really think it would be necessary, since he had no plans on spending too long on it, but the cyborg was adamant that he needed to know where everything is.

He went through the kitchen, dining room and sick bay and then down to the aquarium before he realized he could ignore about 80% of what the noisy man was spewing and not lose the thread of the explanations. 

Law really couldn’t bring himself to appreciate all the superlatives being thrown around. 

They continued to the work rooms and bath, then to the library which admittedly caught his interest, and then to the survey room and the crow’s nest which appeared to double as a kind of training room. 

Law didn’t say much during the tour, but he took everything in. Whether he’d need to use this information to his advantage later remained to be seen, but he stored it away carefully. 

The ship was so very different from his own – although, admittedly, his was a very unique one – and yet there was something similar. 

Law remembered commissioning the Sub – it had taken him a while to find a shipwright who could manage the job and do it right, and it had cost quite the pretty penny. But it had been done right and Law would have nothing less for his crew.

He still had no idea how he managed to get dragged into other people’s lives again. Human connections only ever led to pain and he knew that, damn it, he never should have let them worm their way into his heart. 

But they had, and when he’d made the Sub, he’d made it for them. 

He’d consulted with the builder and designed the entire place, from the operating room to the medical library, to the very location of the Jolly Roger on the outside. He’d let Shachi be the one to draw it, of course, and the man had added his newly acquired epithet next to it, but Law couldn’t bring himself to complain about that. 

He’d given Shachi the tattoo parlor of his dreams and let him draw on the walls of any room he wanted. He’d given Penguin all the best equipment to continue his studies in medicine. He’d even build Bepo a cooling chamber, even if the bear rarely used it because it was too cramped and the rest of the crew refused to go in due to the cold. He’d even cleared out one of the supply rooms to make Jean a proper gym when he’d joined them on Sabaody. 

He’d never bothered with anything but the necessities for his own room, since he didn’t think he’d be spending too long there, anyway. Even back then he’d been fully cognizant of the fact he might not live through his encounter with Doflamingo, whenever it came. 

He’d focused on his crew, and he’d built them each something of their own. Something to call home. 

The Sunny was just like that. She wasn’t just a ship, wasn’t a mode of transport. She was a home and a comrade in her own way. He could see the care that had been put into creating every part of her, every little detail that belonged to one crewmember or another. She was a part of the crew, just like the crew was a part of her, and Law would have to be blind and stupid not to notice and understand that. 

And as he was finally brought back to the grassy deck where an impromptu picknick had been initiated by their constantly-hungry captain, Law smiled a little at Franky’s exclamation of:

“Sunny is the most _SUPER_ ship out there!”

And he thought: yes. It was the best ship for them.

He hoped that even if he didn’t return, his nakama would keep thinking of the Sub the same way.

And as the cyborg sat down to dig through the offered food, Law took a seat beside him and offered a few words about his own ship. It would only be fair, after all.


	44. Tough Times

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> **Prompt by** : [alabastaace](http://alabastaace.tumblr.com/)  
>  **Prompt** : Sabo being sent back in time and he meets tiny ace and tiny luffy.  
>  **Rating** : T  
>  **Warnings** : Spoilers, angst  
>  **Tags** : Canon Compliant, Time Travel, Sabo, Ace, Luffy, Koala, ASL Brothers  
> Originally posted [here](http://silmil-of-erebor.tumblr.com/post/125940100494/sabo-being-sent-back-in-time-and-he-meets-tiny-ace).

It took him barely a moment to realize he’d been caught by the attack. It was a bit demeaning, falling for something so very obvious, but he’d been a little distracted because Koala looked shaken and he still hadn’t figured out what this whole thing was even about.

He had his suspicions, and at least Koala had been back in barely a couple of minutes, but he still wasn’t sure. He’d felt a sharp tug around his body for barely a moment, and now his attack landed on thin air. 

He wasn’t where he’d been just a moment ago. That was understandable: he remembered seeing Koala disappear from where she’d stood, so she must have gone somewhere, right?

Or, considering the abilities of that man, some _when_. 

Sabo didn’t know much about the user, or the fruit itself, admittedly, but he wasn’t too worried. He was sure Koala and Hack could hold him back until Sabo’s own couple of minutes passed and he returned. Apparently, whatever the extent of his abilities, they were, ironically enough, limited by time. 

He finally looked around, a little curious about his surroundings. It didn’t look like the island he’d just been on. Had he been thrown back or forth in time? He couldn’t tell, but the place looked… strangely _familiar_.

He took a step forward and hesitated. It was like he knew this forest, like he’d spent his entire life in it. The trees, the stones, the path….

The _path_. The path to their _home_. 

Shivers ran down his back, and Sabo found his feet moving without much input from his mind. He _knew_ this place, goddamn it! What time was it? Could it be the past? If he’d thrown him here, _now_ , if Sabo had the smallest chance of setting this right-

He finally broke through the bushes and his feet seemed to tangle together, almost sending him to his knees in his effort to stop. Sabo looked up at their tree house and couldn’t believe his eyes.

It was there, still standing if a bit battered. Their flag, the one they had put on top of it, drawn with their own hands, was torn but still waving in the breeze. There was moss growing on the outside among other signs of neglect. 

But, even if it had been left to the elements the day Sabo had set sail only to get blown out of the sea, it couldn’t have been so long since then, right? Were they still here? Were Luffy and…

 _Ace_.

Ace could be _here_.

Right now, here, on the same island as Sabo.

He had to hurry!

He sparked a trail of fire beneath himself to propel up and broke through the thick ceiling of branches to see the sky. The sun was still up, if they kept to anything close to the schedule they used to have, they would be training about now. 

Sabo knew the forest like the back of his hand, so he barely needed a moment to orient himself and he was flying towards their usual training ground. It used to take them no less than an hour to break through every obstacle on the way, could he make it in just a few minutes?

Damn, he didn’t know how long he’d wasted already. How much time did he have here, or more importantly, _now_?

How long was it since they thought he’d died? 

Would meeting them just reopen new wounds when they learned he couldn’t stay?

Even if it did, even if they had to see him go, he could tell them. He could tell _Ace_. He could set right that one terrible regret. He could make sure Ace didn’t die thinking Sabo was gone, thinking he’d leave Luffy on his own. 

If he could just make it there in time, if he could tell his brother, promise him he’d be there for Luffy even long after Ace was gone… 

_If he could just…_

“Damn it Luffy stop crying!” The familiar voice rang through the trees and Sabo found himself freezing in place, breaths coming in bursts into his lungs. 

Ace. 

_Ace!_

“I’m no-not crying you asshole!” Came the teary reply. “Stop hitting so hard!”

“We’re training, of course I’m gonna hit you hard you brat! Do you wanna get strong or what?”

“I’m gonna get strong! Stronger than you, stronger than everyone! I decided I’m gonna be strong enough to never lose anyone else!”

“Good! Come at me with that resolve then!”

“Don’t tell me what to do! _Gomu-gomu no-!_ ”

They were right there. Just beneath the green leaves and branches. Ace was right there, teaching Luffy how to be strong and being twice the brother he’d been. Twice the brother he’d ever needed to be, because Sabo was supposed to be right there by his side, helping him. 

Could he even show his face in front of Ace when he knew how badly he’d failed his brother?

But if he _didn’t_ , if he didn’t go down there now, he knew he’d regret it for the rest of his life. Maybe he wouldn’t be able to save Ace, but if he could give him this promise, if he could lift this weight from his shoulders, that alone would be enough!

He flipped quickly and shot down towards the trees, not knowing how long he had left. Opening his mouth, he was just releasing his greeting when he felt that tug again.

_No!_

But it was too late, and in no more than a second he was crashing into black sand, suddenly so very close to the ground and his yell of _“Hey guys!”_ echoing around the mostly-empty beach. 

He rolled from his momentum, the initial hit barely registering, until he finally stopped, sprawled down on his stomach.

_Too late. Always, always too late…_

“Shit!” He punched the sand beneath his hand and felt something dark rising inside of him. The despair of losing Ace another time burned bright under his skin, and over it too, now. Anger, anger like he’d never felt before. How dare he. How dare that man show him this only to tear him back before he could do anything? How _dare_ he-

He barely noticed Koala taking a step back from him as he looked up and there was nothing but that Devil Fruit user and Sabo’s boundless despair and anger for a few moments.

Then, the user was no more than ash, and only the despair remained.

The very strength of his anger seemed to burn him out: he wasn’t used to bursting out like that. He found his breaths coming in shallow puffs and tears leaking down his face. 

_Late again. Why am I always too late? Why can’t I reach you even once, Ace?_

“It’s tough, isn’t it?” Koala sat beside him, bumping his shoulder with her own and offering the comfort he needed. “Seeing it, and knowing you can’t change anything… Because, what if you _did_? What if you went to your young self and told them it’d be ok? What if it changed everything? What if it meant you wouldn’t be here now?” 

That didn’t matter. Sabo would have given it up in an instant, if it meant spending this time with his brothers. He had dedicated himself to this cause and he cared for the people around him, but they would never win when pitched against Luffy and Ace. 

But he couldn’t tell her that. He could never tell her how glad he was he’d killed that man in anger before he’d had the sense to fall on his knees before him begging to be brought back there. 

It would be his own shortcoming that neither she nor anyone else, would never need to know about. 

“Yeah,” he croaked through a throat that was trying to close up on him. “Yeah, it’s tough.”


	45. How Not to Guard

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> **Prompt by** : [sasariousss](http://sasariousss.tumblr.com/)  
>  **Prompt** : Once Sanji lost the lock to the fridge and the Strawhats have to prevent the food from being eaten by Luffy while Sanji finds a solution  
>  **Rating** : G  
>  **Warnings** : None  
>  **Tags** : Canon Compliant, Guarding, Sanji, Zoro, Luffy, Strawhat Pirates, Zoro&Luffy  
> Originally posted [here](http://silmil-of-erebor.tumblr.com/post/125990788524/prompts-again-gtd-once-sanji-lost-the-lock-to).

The day it happened, Sanji knew his kitchen wouldn’t get through it without some serious damage to his provisions. He might have liked to guard it with his life, because no real chef would let anyone mess with their kitchen, but he was not _just_ a chef, and Luffy was not just _anyone_. 

Looking at the broken lock with regret, Sanji resigned himself to stocking at least once more. His dearest Nami-swan would be so sad about the extra money they’d have to spend on food, because there was no way their captain would let them get out of it without wasting half their treasure.

Franky wasn’t around, which was a horrible coincidence and enough to make Sanji believe the world had conspired against him. And the island they were on didn’t permit men to enter (Franky somehow didn’t count. Sanji suspected it was the half-robot thing) so it was just his wonderful Nami-swan and Robin-chwan taking care of stocking for all of them. They’d taken Franky, because of course you couldn’t expect their beautiful and delicate ladies to carry everything they’d need!

But that meant Franky wasn’t around. Which, in turn, meant that there was no one around to fix the lock of the fridge. Which meant Luffy, the bastard he was, was going to stuff himself stupid and be the ruin of all the food on the Sunny.

So, Sanji, who had his own chores to do, for once outside the kitchen, kicked the stupid swordsman in and when promising him booze didn’t work, threatened to leave him hungry if he didn’t guard the fridge.

In retrospect, that had been an absolutely _terrible_ idea. 

Not only was the mosshead an absolute _moron_ , but he also had this stupid caring thing going for their insane captain, which meant he wouldn’t really stop the kid.

By the time this occurred to him, it was way too late. 

He came back into the kitchen to see Luffy, round like a ball and snoring contentedly, lying with his head on Zoro’s stomach. The swordsman himself was snoozing with a few empty bottles of booze rolling around him on the floor. 

Sanji kicked him awake. Then, he kicked him out of the kitchen. And just to be sure he got his message across, he kicked him out of the Sunny, too. And he kicked all the rest of the sake after him out of spite.

The moronic greenhead dove down after the booze, only to return with a fish five times his size and dump it onboard. 

Naturally, that meant Sanji had to stay out on deck to clean the beast he’d caught, so he needed a new guard for the kitchen.

He gave Chopper strict orders to guard the fridge and not let Luffy anywhere close to it. By this point the captain had recovered and was twitching for more food, the insane asshole. 

Sanji wasn’t even half-done with gutting the fish, when the little doctor’s screams echoed over the ship. He crashed into the kitchen only to find Chopper hanged by his shirt on a towel-rag in the corner and Luffy half-way inside the fridge. 

He was just about to bury his foot so deep in his dearest captain’s ass that they’d need a shovel to get it out, when Zoro, apparently drawn in by Chopper’s calls of protest, stepped into the kitchen, and _fuck no_ , he was _not_ letting the goddamn stupid swordsman in there again. 

By the time he was done with the following fight, Luffy was bouncing on the deck, sufficiently stuffed and happy. Sanji kicked him overboard for eating his food, and let Chopper down. 

He employed Brook for the next fridge-guarding shift, having lost faith in Chopper’s abilities. 

Brook should have been a good guard, he could distract Luffy if he needed, and he wasn’t so easily brushed aside like their tiny doctor. 

Unfortunately, it appeared he could be easily distracted himself, especially when Zoro decided he’d tell him about his freaking swords _right fucking now_. 

Sanji got into another fight with him while the skeleton cowered, and then tried to redeem himself by dragging Luffy out of the kitchen. Given that Luffy had already cleared out any kind of meet they might have had and was moving on to the bread and vegetables, it was a good thing. 

Sanji was absolutely certain Zoro was doing this on purpose. The bastard. He’d do well to really let him stay hungry (unfortunately, he never would). 

When Sanji was finally done with the giant fish, Luffy, predictably, wanted to eat it. Sanji fed him a kick in the mouth and slammed the door in his face. As he was washing off and putting away the fresh meet, he dragged Usopp with him in the kitchen in a last vain effort to preserve some of his food for an actual meal. 

He didn’t hold too much hope of it.

So. Naturally, when Usopp managed to grab Luffy’s attention before he could even wander into the kitchen, and submerge him so deep in one of his lies that the kid forgot there was food close to him, Sanji was beyond shocked.  
And when the girls returned, only for Nami to beat up Zoro and Luffy alike, and Franky to finally fix the lock, Sanji decided the next time something like this happened, because he knew deep in his heart there would be a next time, Usopp would have fridge-guarding duty from the start.


	46. Braving the Craving

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> **Prompt by** : [sasariousss](http://sasariousss.tumblr.com/)  
>  **Prompt** : Rouge having the weirdest cravings when she was pregnant with Ace xD  
>  **Rating** : G  
>  **Warnings** : None  
>  **Tags** : Modern AU, Foor Cravings, Food, Rouge, Roger, Rayleigh, Shanks, Gol D. Family  
> Originally posted [here](http://silmil-of-erebor.tumblr.com/post/126017411749/rouge-having-the-weirdest-cravings-when-she-was).

She didn’t even notice it at the beginning. Leave it to Rayleigh to always know everything first. There was a reason he was Roger’s closest friend – he was smart and observant enough for all of them and helped keep them alive through her fiancé’s crazier schemes. 

“Since when do you take your fries with ketchup?” She stopped with the potato half-way to her mouth and blinked at him, then at the food. Her fry was, indeed, slathered in ketchup. She didn’t even _like_ ketchup, but it had looked like the one thing on her tray that she really needed to eat.

“I don’t know,” Rouge shrugged it off easily and chomped down on the salty food. “I just feel like it, lately.”

“If you’re sure that’s all it is,” he gave her a curious look, but when he deemed the confusion in her eyes as completely honest, he turned back to eating his own food and ignoring the rest of the rowdy table. 

Roger brought her another serving of fries later and she spilled half the bottle of ketchup over it. How had she never had this before, it was so _good_!

—–

Admittedly, even she realized the bizarre desire to chomp on ice cubes in the middle of March as unusual. It wasn’t even hot outside, and it wasn’t like she wanted to cool down, but half way through her coffee break she felt the unstoppable drive to just pop the freezer open and take a couple of ice cubes to suck on.

She regretted it a little later when her mouth was freezing and she was in the middle of the office. There was no way to explain it that wouldn’t sound entirely insane, and spitting it out would be even worse. So she suffered through, hoping she wouldn’t crack her chilled teeth with how quickly she donned the hot coffee immediately after. 

—–

She was flitting around the kitchen, munching on a snack before breakfast, when Roger came in to wrap his arms around her and trap her completely in place in a giant hug. 

She sniggered as he nuzzled her neck and looked excitedly at what she was making. 

“Breakfast,” she informed and shrugged his arms off. “And it will actually be ready soon if you let me go.” 

She kissed him on the cheek to soften the reprimand, and reached out to the plate she’d made for herself. Her hand bumped his when he stole a piece and she crunched happily.

“Isn’t this the salad thing they put in salads?” He sounded confused.

“Iceberg salad,” she offered and smiled. It was a bit of a miracle he’d actually put green food in his mouth willingly. “There was a sale in the supermarket yesterday.”

“Why is it sweet?” He asked again and she looked over at him.

“Because I put sugar on it,” and now that she said it, that _did_ sound a bit strange, didn’t it?

“Hmmm, it’s nice,” he said and stole the rest of her plate.

—–

She caught some kind of stomach flu a couple of days later and had to call in sick to work. Throwing up first thing in the morning really wasn’t her thing and she burrowed into the bed while Roger fussed about and brought her everything she might ever need from the house. She had to stop him from _actually_ attempting to drag the toilet seat in as well. She told him she’d be fine and allowed him to call Shanks over to make sure she had all she needed.

When the redhead came into the room just minutes after Roger had finally walked out, she looked him in the eye and said:

“Bring me _pickles_.”

“Pickles?”

“Yes, pickles. And don’t bother with a plate, I want the whole jar.”

“A jar… of pickles?”

“Yes!” She thought for a moment, then added. “And sour cream.”

He laughed like it was the best joke he’d heard, but when she drank the juice right out of the pickle jar five minutes later, he gaped at her in disbelief. 

—–

She was sick again the next morning, but managed to make it better by sucking on a lemon. She didn’t even know why there were lemons in her kitchen, since it was way too early in the year to be making chilled lemonade… Roger did the shopping last time, right? Maybe he needed them for something? Maybe they were Rayleigh’s and they mixed up their groceries again? 

She filled her bag with fruit before she headed out to work and managed to finish all of it before the day was done. 

She still wasn’t sure why they’d had so much fruit in the house in the first place.

—–

Her period was late and she was antsy about it. This could all be just her freaking out, of course it could, but they’d been trying for a while and… And what if…?

Her bowl-full of ice cream was almost over before she realized she had, at some point, opened a jar of olives to go with it. 

That was about the moment her composure broke and she dove for her phone.

“Jesus Christ, Rayleigh, I’m eating _ice cream_ with _olives_ ,” she almost shrieked into the receiver the moment it was picked up. “I’m having _cravings_. _Morning sickness!”_

“I slipped a pregnancy test in the bag with your tampons last time we did the shopping,” he said, because of course he’d known, and of course he’d been the person who made sure there were pickles and lemons and fruit and ice cream in her kitchen. 

She dropped the phone on the table and ran to the bathroom. 

—–

Roger came in early that evening with Rayleigh on his heels and he didn’t get the chance to close the door before Rouge was throwing her arms around his neck and kissing him under his ridiculous mustache. 

They somehow managed to remain in the apartment and not topple outside, but it wasn’t due to either Roger or Rouge’s efforts. 

When she finally pulled back, grinning like she was out of her mind with how happy she was, she framed his face with her hands and exclaimed:

“We’re having a baby!”


	47. The Better Kind of Horrible Ideas

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> **Prompt by** : [sasariousss](http://sasariousss.tumblr.com/)  
>  **Prompt** : Strawhats baking a cake for Sanji's birthday :)))  
>  **Rating** : G  
>  **Warnings** : None  
>  **Tags** : Canon Compliant, Baking, Sanji, Robin, Strawhat Pirates  
> Originally posted [here](http://silmil-of-erebor.tumblr.com/post/126840044344/strawhats-baking-a-cake-for-sanjis-birthday).

It was a horrible idea, and Robin knew it from the moment she heard it. Luckily, it wasn’t the kind of horrible idea that lead to bodily harm and emotional trauma, but they had enough of that kind of horrible ideas on their insane journey as it was. Besides, it’s not like Robin wasn’t usually on board with the second kind of horrible ideas, as long as there was a point to it. 

No, this particular horrible idea was just begging for disaster, but the _fun_ kind. The kind that ended with Luffy and maybe a couple of more nakama thrown overboard in a fit of anger and no lasting damage to anything really irreplaceable. 

Robin was all for this kind of horrible ideas. 

Which was good, because since their captain had been voted out of voting due to his stupidity and Sanji had no vote, for obvious reasons, it was all in her hands. That left Zoro, who voted _against_ out of sheer contrariness and Usopp and Chopper who voted _against_ because they were scared shitless of their cook. Nami tried to override Zoro’s vote, but the swordsman was adamant on owing her more if it meant he gets to keep it, but she still voted _for_ , together with a pair of enthusiastic Brook and Franky. 

Which left it a cleat 3 on 3 draw, and her vote being the turning point.

Of course Robin voted _for_. When they were sailing through an actually safe part of the ocean, they had to make their own disasters, after all.

And, so, plan Make-Sanji-the-best-cake-EVER was set into motion. The title was rather long, so Robin chose to think of it simply as Plan Cake.

She was a bit shocked when she found out she wasn’t the only one on the crew (excluding the cook) who knew how to bake a cake, but considering Franky’s recipe included worrying amounts of Cola, they settled on hers. 

Naturally, they put Zoro on Sanji-distracting duty, and he was more than happy to oblige. The swordsman had been itching for a fight for a while now, and with the crew’s unanimous blessing, he made quick work of Sanji’s short temper and the two of them were tearing down the entire beach within minutes.

Robin took this time to go for supplies with Chopper, and they managed to return to the docked ship within the hour. Their explosive duo was still trying to rip each other a new one, so their absence went entirely unnoticed. 

She was fairly sure they could find anything they needed in the Sunny’s kitchen, but she hoped they could lessen the destruction of their cook’s sanctuary as much as possible. 

Of course, their main problems remained their captain and his appetite, which was big enough to be considered an entity of its own. So Robin sent Franky with a mission to keep the kitchen off limits for both captain and chef. It ended up being a false declaration that one thing or another needed maintenance. That didn’t sit very well with the blond, but he had little choice other than to accept it. 

So, while Nami was taking second shift in Sanji-distraction after Zoro decided to go back to his weights, Robin, Brook, Usopp and Chopper got to work. Brook proved to be rather enthusiastic with a whisk. So enthusiastic, in fact, that most of the cake mix ended up on the walls and ceiling, rather than in the bowl. Robin decided it might have been worse - after all half of the concoction was still inside and pretty well mixed. 

Chopper was on the side, picking through the fruit they’d bought and very carefully cutting the strawberries while eating most of them. Robin made a few extra hands to sneak the mikans away from the little doctor and his sweet tooth. 

Meanwhile Usopp was mixing something that looked more like a health hazard than actual food, but he called ‘eatable paints’ for the sugar dough. Robin decided to give him the benefit of the doubt, but she still made him taste it first before eating it. 

A few hours later they had a half-sized cake with a pretty artistic writing of “World’s best chef”. They burst out of the kitchen just on time to catch the captain who was flinging himself at the barricaded door, and Sanji was trying to kick him into the ground. It was only Nami’s quick reflexes that saved their masterpiece from being flung into the sea. 

Sanji, of course, proceeded to kick all the males on board out of sheer exasperation born from not being let into his kitchen all day, and then fawned over her and Nami for the wonderful cake they’d made him. The grin on his face was all worth it. 

Until the moment he saw the state of his beloved kitchen, of course. Franky might have cried as well.


	48. Diligent Delinquent

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> **Prompt by** : [sasariousss](http://sasariousss.tumblr.com/)  
>  **Prompt** : Delinquent!Law trying to pick on Luffy but it backfires. Bonus points if Cora-san is included :D  
>  **Rating** : G  
>  **Warnings** : None  
>  **Tags** : Delinquent AU, Law, Luffy, Cora, heart Pirates, Law&Cora  
> Originally posted [here](http://silmil-of-erebor.tumblr.com/post/127310815234/delinquentlaw-trying-to-pick-on-luffy-but-it).

Shachi was cackling like an idiot again, but that was no surprise. He always did get chipper while he was doing his art – be it covering Law’s papers with doodles, or a wall with meters-high graffiti. At least he didn’t get overexcited when he was drawing on people in the parlor, Law supposed. At least he never had when drawing on Law.

Penguin sat beside him, donning his own beer and chattering about one thing or another, Bepo on his other side nodding in interest. Seriously, if he kept doing that as much as he was his head would just nod off of his neck one of these days. 

At least he wasn’t apologizing for something this time. 

Law had been pretty comfortable with the situation lately. Kid was off with his own gang and hadn’t been bothering him for a while now. Well, no more than Law could stand, at least. A little competitive brawling every now and again was to be expected. 

The parlor was going fine and Shachi and Penguin were happy with that. He’d almost managed to convince Bepo to try for a GED – he himself might have dropped out, but he could recognize the use of something like that, and really, the kid was too young to be throwing his life away to delinquency as it was. The only reason Law had taken him in was that, otherwise, he would’ve gone running to Kid. And Kid’s gang wasn’t the place for someone like him.

Not to say that Law hadn’t gotten attached to him. It was exactly the reason he hoped he could get him to do something with his life. 

There had only been one problem lately – this new gang that had been rising their heads all over town. They’d made a mess of the Enies Lobby PD a few weeks back and made a name for themselves. And they were starting to come closer to Law’s territory. 

And that just wouldn’t do. 

“If you’re done,” he called at Shachi, who was standing back from the wall he’d been spray-painting until now, considering. “There’s someone I’d like us to pay a visit to tonight.”

He had everyone’s attention immediately. Good.

“What do you have in mind, Captain?” asked Penguin, intrigued. 

“I think we’ll need to grab Jean for this,” Law let his face stretch into a smug grin. “The Strawhats have been a bother lately. Let’s go bother _them_.”

——

The door opened before he even got his key out and Cora’s tantrum seemed to die on his tongue when he laid his eyes on him.

“What did you _do_?” He asked instead, his voice exasperated. 

“I might have underestimated someone,” Law offered, shrugging past him and holding a hand to his nose to hold the blood from dripping on the carpet. The reflection that greeted him in the bathroom mirror looked rather unhappy. And bruised. He had the beginnings of a black eye and some rather telling darkening spots on his cheek as well. He was sure the discoloration continued all the way down his torso, considering how many hits the damn brat had landed.

“I thought you had that Eustass punk pegged,” Cora called after him as he rummaged through the bedroom for the first aid kit. 

“ _Him_ I do,” Law groused loudly as the sound of running water tried to drown out his words. He washed his bloody mouth out and shot an annoyed glance at his split lip in the mirror. In the reflection, he saw Cora joining him in the bathroom with a sleep-tousled look and fond amusement in his eyes. “It’s the _new_ kid I misjudged.”

“That’s what you get for picking on the newbies,” Cora laughed and waved the box of supplies around, successfully misplacing one of the towels from the wall with his gesticulation. “Now come here and let me patch you up.”

Law spit into the sink one more time and vowed he’d get Strawhat for that one day.


	49. Egging On

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> **Prompt by** : [sasariousss](http://sasariousss.tumblr.com/)  
>  **Prompt** : Marcoace and EGG PUNS  
>  **Rating** : G  
>  **Warnings** : None  
>  **Tags** : Modern AU, Established Relationship, Puns, Egg Puns, Marco, Ace, Thatch, MarcoAce  
> Originally posted [here](http://silmil-of-erebor.tumblr.com/post/127317250234/also-marcoace-and-egg-puns).

There was a magnet notepad on the fridge with something written on it. 

Usually, that didn’t bother Marco. The magnet notepad was something normal for households – someone always had to do the groceries and it was easier to keep track of what you need if you could write it down the moment it runs out. 

It was also a valid form of communication, given that him and Ace had quite hectic schedules some days. With Marco’s own high position in Pops’ company and Ace’s constant calls from the fire department, it was on rare weekends that they managed to spend more than a handful of hours in each other’s company without being completely exhausted. And Ace forgot his phone a lot.

So, they left short messages on the magnet notepad with the little magnet pen stuck next to it. Be it for groceries, or for something else. 

This wasn’t anything out of the ordinary. No, what was perplexing Marco at that moment was the note written on it in Ace’s messy scrawl:

_I need 20 eggs._

What could he possibly need with 20 eggs? The very thought of it was disturbing Marco. Maybe it was time to look into a professional cleaning crew. Or a new kitchen? 

He pulled off the top piece of paper and wrote on the one under it: _You’ll have to eggsplain that one later._

He went to buy the eggs and left them in the fridge before work. Unfortunately, he forgot to ask his partner about it that evening. 

The next morning, there was a new memo on the notepad, that read: _Is your brain too scrambled to figure it out, old man?_

Marco narrowed his eyes and accepted the challenge, writing underneath: _Call me that one more time and I’ll crack your head._

Of course, Ace also seemed to decide to play along, he realized when he saw the written: _Sorry, didn’t mean to give you and eggsistential crisis over it._ Naturally, Marco retaliated with: _We can’t all be sunny-side up like you._

That was about the start of it. It carried on for months, and neither of them spoke a single word about the constant war of egg puns that was taking place on that little notepad. Marco never once actually saw Ace write his next line out, and Ace never once caught him either, even during the holidays when they got to make more than one exchange a day. 

It was their little inside joke, their game of sorts, and it was something Marco looked forward to every time he stepped into the kitchen. A little reminder that even if they kept missing each other, Ace was still living with him and always willing to interact, to joke and laugh with him. It warmed his heart, even when he saw the most ridiculous puns written out on that little slip of paper.

_I’m gonna be eggspecting a big dinner for tomorrow night :P  
_

_Only if you lay the table yourself.  
_

_And here I thought you were eggsaggerating about your pancake skills x)  
_

_Don’t you know the eggspression: ‘A man’s love goes through the stomach”?  
_

_Duh, I wasn’t hatched yesterday_

Of course, when Thatch decided to drop by and saw the daily pun on the fridge, he made it his life’s work to tease Marco about it until the day he dies. Marco decided he’d make that day come closer with his own two hands. Ace wouldn’t stop laughing. 

“Stop egging him on!” Marco hissed at him one day.

“No way, it’s so eggsciting!” Ace cackled as he ran around the kitchen, looking for food.

“You guys crack me up!” Thatch laughed loudly.

Marco facepalmed.


	50. Sweet Tooth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> **Prompt by** : Anon  
>  **Prompt** : MarcoAce vampire AU with vampire Marco either food or hunter or both Ace and Marco totally playing with his food  
>  **Rating** : E  
>  **Warnings** : Nsfw, Biting  
>  **Tags** : Vampire AU, Established Relationship, Vampires, Blood Drinking, Marco, Ace, MarcoAce  
> Originally posted [here](http://silmil-of-erebor.tumblr.com/post/128218019759/im-not-sure-if-youre-taking-prompts-already-and).

Marco remembers little from his mortal life. Immortality agrees with him these days, ever since he found Pops and a place to belong, a place where he’s not just a dark stain on the otherwise clean world (hah, who is he even kidding? Living humans can be just as damned as them, if not more). He doesn’t really miss much from his mortal life anymore, either. 

One thing he remembers very clearly from it is the food. He can’t _eat_ food now, not human food, at least. But that doesn’t mean he can’t _taste_. 

It was something he didn’t even understand in his early years – hectic and confusing as they’d been. There had been something that repulsed him in drinking blood, even if it was the only way he could feed anymore. It wasn’t his morals, not after a while, and for the longest time he couldn’t put his finger on it. 

Blood just tasted _bad_ to him.

Until the first time he’d fed on a willing victim. And that… well, that had been different. 

He understood it, now, centuries in. He knew what he had tasted that time: emotions. 

Fear, which was something he’d had a lot of in the beginning, fear was a sickly sour taste, like a lemon or maybe vinegar. Mix that with a healthy dose of literally bitter hatred for his kind, and his meals had been so very far from savory they were in another continent. Then there had been the despair and misery of those who thought they’d die, probably thinking of all the loved ones they’d leave behind or everything they hadn’t gotten to do. They were salty, a sharp and overwhelming flavor that was like licking a sea-soaked stone. 

The first time he’d fed on one of his brothers – those human members of their family who understood their need and offered themselves willingly – he’d realized it didn’t always have to be repulsive. 

Yet it had seemed a bit bland, still. Not bitter or salty or sour, or any combination of the tree. It was like a refreshing glass of water, a soup with few spices. It wasn’t _bad_. Just not quite satisfactory. 

Marco had always had a sweet tooth. So, all he had to do was figure out what emotions would translate into a sweet flavor for his kind. 

It wasn’t hard to determine, really. Happiness, he learned with time, was a kind of sugary sweet, like licking a lollipop or sucking on one of those overly-sugary candies. Affection was a bit more complex and richer, like sweet chocolate bars, the kind that melted on your tongue in the summer. The deeper the bond the more decadent. Thatch’s blood had been his favorite treat for the longest time, because the man always seemed to taste like chocolate-dipped sugar cubes. 

Then, there was that time when Thatch disappeared for over a month. It was all fine, it wasn’t his brother’s duty to be his blood donor, but it had left Marco with fewer desirable options. (There had always been something wrong with the way Teach tasted. Marco could never quite put his finger on it.) 

Ace had seemed reluctant at first, and looking back on it, Marco could understand why. He’d never considered he could intrude on someone’s personal emotions quite as much as he had with that first bite. 

Ace was… Ace’s blood was rich and heady on his tongue, a taste as close to perfection as he’d ever known. Like melted chocolate with the faintest hint of bitterness (Marco was fairly sure it was his insistent self-hatred and not anything to do with the vampire himself). But there was something else there, too. Something more than that sweet decadent taste, something hot and needy and addicting that had sent Marco’s head reeling. 

He’d barely pulled away from Ace’s vein before he’d been crushing their lips together, hard and just as sweet and damning. 

Attraction, Marco realized later, with Ace’s warm body wrapped close around him. He’d tasted attraction for the first time. Or so he’d thought.

It took him a disturbingly long time to realize the truth. 

Yes, there was attraction in the mix. Attraction and affection and care and lust, definitely. But there was something deeper, stronger, hotter under it all. It was only months later, when this thing of theirs had built into something more, and the taste had never changed, that Marco realized he’d been the one falling behind. 

Ace had been in love with him from the very beginning. 

It still struck him some days, that this man was completely lost over him. It didn’t seem right, the distant part of Marco that still considered himself inhuman thought, it was unfair to drag down such a bright soul. But he’d learned to forget these thoughts as soon as they entered his mind, so he didn’t dwell much on it. 

He just let himself love Ace back, and he was happy.

Also, there was something to be said about having a partner as eager to experiment as he was. It helped figure out that there were ways even for Marco to enjoy sex now that some very crucial parts didn’t work for him. As it turned out, Ace tasted even more alluring then, all deep chocolate and chili peppers - hot and sweet and completely brilliant. 

It also helped that Ace made the most breathless noises and had this pinched look on his face when Marco would tease him right to the edge before bringing him back from it. Just the sight of it made up for the lack of actual arousal in Marco well enough. And it also turned into his favorite meal time. 

“Marco-” he gasped, writhing underneath him and straining against his tied wrists. It had been a while now since he’d been tied there, unable to rush the vampire with anything other than his words and his straining body. He’d twisted the covers off of the mattress a while back, but neither of them cared much about that.

Marco himself shoved his fingers in deep, rubbing roughly over the bundle of nerves and made Ace arch off the bed sharply, his voice choking in his throat. Watching him completely lose his coherency was so very rewarding. 

He ran his other hand over the straining erection two times, before fastening his fingers tight just over the balls when the man looked like he’d finally tip over into ecstasy. The noise that left his lips was tipping beyond desperation into something sharper and a bit more manic. 

“Pl- ple-” he panted as he shifted under Marco’s relentless abuse of his prostate. “ _Please_ ,” he finally gasped out, throwing his head back and showing a brilliantly stretched length of his delicate neck. 

It was too tempting, really. Watching him undone like this, watching him bearing all of himself to him. Marco was fairly sure this move had been fully intentional on Ace’s part. Since their experiments had fully began, Marco tended to bite him in the crucial moments, and he’d learned to really offer it, to sometimes beg Marco to bite him, if it would mean release. 

And Marco rarely felt inclined to refuse at this point.

He leaned in over the man, pressing close to his flushed hot body, and showered open-mouthed kisses over his strained neck. He could feel the strength of his heartbeat under his tongue, shallow breaths making the skin beneath his lips quiver. 

Marco bit, deep and hard, knowing the hint of pain would drive Ace even deeper into his pleasure-fueled haze. He tasted like ambrosia, sweet and so very hot and addicting. 

Then he finally let go, ran his fingers up and down Ace’s length once and he was gone, straining and screaming, release splashing up between them. 

And as Marco could feel the echo of it through their connection, he could think of few more satisfying ways of playing with his food.


	51. Under(over)cover

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> **Prompt by** : Anon  
>  **Prompt** : Are you still taking prompts? I saw [this post](http://xqueenromanoff.tumblr.com/post/80104124730/thelongdarktea-timeofthesoul-fasterfood-what) and thought it'd be cool your take of marco/ace in it!  
>  **Rating** : M  
>  **Warnings** : Prostitution  
>  **Tags** : Modern AU, Prostitution, Undercover, Mistakes, Ace, Marco, MarcoAce  
> Originally posted [here](http://silmil-of-erebor.tumblr.com/post/128353285509/are-you-still-taking-prompts-i-saw-this-post-and).

Ace chewed on the cigarette in his mouth distractedly while his eyes roamed the street for a potential victim. He was well aware some people might have been unhappy in his position – it was very easy to find it demeaning and insulting, if you were a meat-brained muscle-bound moron with less than two functioning brain cells too set on your masculinity. 

In short, a lot of the people in the force would consider it so. But he was starting to learn that Newgate’s department wasn’t quite like most other PDs out there.

Pops hadn’t sent him here because he was the newbie and he got the shit job. He’d put him on the streets, because Ace had actual experience with this. And given that Pops was the very man that had taken him off the streets in the first place, Ace knew his position wasn’t intended in ill faith at all.

Also, Ace knew, more than anyone, that the prostitutes running these streets had to be protected as well. He was proud of this assignment, and he had every intention to keep to it for as long as possible.

He was walking the streets close to the Police Department, because it was an unusual place for an undercover agent to be at, and because hookers tended to be fewer there anyway – the desperate asses who bought them would be more willing to walk up to him here. 

He knew the drill – tight, revealing clothes that didn’t leave much to the imagination, a few pointed touches on his face to give him better bedroom eyes, and, of course, something to draw attention to his mouth. He wasn’t that big a fan of smoking, but it was a good enough excuse. His recline against the corner was relaxed and inviting, and he kept a sharp eye for potential buyers. 

It wouldn’t be long before someone took the bait, he knew. 

And indeed, not half an hour later, the blond that had been eyeing him for a while now finally made his move. Ace crushed the almost-finished smoke on the wall where he’d been leaning on and turned fully towards the prospective buyer. 

“See something you like?” He pushed a thumb through a belt loop, making his pants ride even lower on his hips and noticed the man’s eyes follow the teasing sliver of skin there. 

“I most certainly do, eh,” he stepped right into Ace’s personal space like he had the right to, and shit, if Ace had still been on the streets that might have been a red flag right there – too aggressive, too dangerous to risk just for the money – but he was a cop now and like fuck was he going to back out of this one. This son of a bitch seemed to know exactly what he wanted from him, and if he was one of the more dangerous ones, than at least Ace would be dragging one predator down. 

“I’ve got a room arranged,” Ace nodded his head towards the building behind himself, making sure to stretch his neck with the action. “For those who… know what they want,” he looked up at the taller man from under his lashes and he knew he had that one right where he wanted him.

They stepped into the small space barely a moment later, and Ace knew he was absolutely safe here, he had his gun and a panic button and everything, but what was better were the hidden cameras that would catch all of this for undeniable proof of the scum that Ace chose to bring up here. 

The blond ran a critical eye over everything and moved towards the bed without waiting to be asked. Ace knew he had to bait him now, to make him say something incriminating and keep it simple until then. He had a role to play. He’s seen and read of enough cases where this kinds of men walk simply because of lack of solid proof. 

“So, how do you like it?” Ace asked as he slipped a hand over the cover of the bed invitingly.

“The room is nice, eh, but it’s not what I’m here for, is it?”

“Oh?” Ace smirked and plopped down on the bed, stretching luxuriously. “What are you here for, then, stranger?” 

“I think you’re well aware of exactly what I want from you,” the man advanced and put one knee after the other on the mattress, climbing over Ace’s body in such a casual manner that it made his heart actually beat faster. Damn, he hadn’t gotten laid in a while. And he wasn’t now, either, he told his body firmly, before putting a hand on the chest hovering over him to keep him at a distance.

“And what do I get in return, hm?” He asked, sly and teasing, baiting. 

The man straightened up and pulled a wallet from his back pocket, dropping it meaningfully on the bedside table. 

“How much do you charge?” 

Bingo!

Ace let a sneer replace his placid expression, and in a move he’d learned long before the Academy from wrestling with Sabo, he had the man face-down on the bed, arms twisted behind his back.

“You are under arrest,” he began as he pulled a pair of handcuffs from under the pillow and snapped them in place easily, “for solicitation for prostitution. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be provided for you. Do you understand the rights I have just read to you?” 

The man didn’t seem to struggle much during the whole speech, and as Ace sat up with one knee planted in the middle of his back just in case, he only turned his head with an incredulous expression, and said:

“Are you being serious right now?” 

“Do you un-“

“Yes, yes, I understand it, god, do you know how many times I’ve said that exact same thing, eh?” 

And that made Ace freeze for a moment. It seemed one of them was most certainly not making sense right about then. 

“You are not-“ he began, but got cut off right after with a:

“My badge is in my wallet. The one I very helpfully put on the table for you,” he nodded at the object with a somewhat amused look on his face. “You must be new, though; I haven’t seen you around before, eh.”

Still keeping an arm on his chained wrists Ace reached and shuffled through an ID, a couple of credit cards and a driver’s license, and – yep, there it was. A police badge. The fucker was an actual policeman. Fuck, no wonder he acted so entitled. And the ass thought Ace would let him off the hook just for being in- he was also one of Pops’? Seriously? 

Ace would make sure he and his entire career crashed and burned. 

“Not letting me up, eh?” Marco. Marco Phoenix, said. 

“What? You think cops don’t pay for hookers or something? You’re too good to be arrested for it?” Ace felt anger building in his chest and he got off of the man and roughly pulled him up and shoved him at the door. “I’m bringing you in.” He forced himself to not blow up in front of the cameras. The ass would get what was coming to him. And if Ace made a bit of a scene dragging him in in front of everyone, well. It wasn’t against protocol. 

—–

The door to the Chief of Police’s office swung shut, but Edward Newgate’s laughter still echoed in the entire building. Marco, newly freed from his handcuffs, was standing next to a bright red Ace, unsure if he should be embarrassed or amused at the entire situation. He decided on a mix of the two, as the entire bullpen burst into hysterics to rival Pops’. 

“You didn’t tell me you were undercover,” Ace griped, glaring at him without a hint of his actual anger from earlier. 

“I didn’t want to give you ammunition for the trial, eh,” he smirked back and got a smack on his arm. 

“Why the hell did you approach me in the first place, you ass? Don’t you know the other people who’re undercover?” 

“I could ask you the same, eh,” he dodged the annoyed punch and hit Thatch over the head in his turn to make him stop snickering already. “Don’t you have work to do?”

“Don’t you have kids to prey on, Mister Solicitor?” Thatch cackled back and threw some papers at him. “As soon as we get you out of jail that is. Oh, this is too good! I should make you pay bail!” 

“I think I’ll just go back do my thing,” Ace seemed to sense how likely he was to be the next victim of the teasing, so he ducked around Thatch’s desk and hurried towards the exit. 

“Oh, and Ace,” Marco called after him, ignoring Thatch’s protests at being ignored. When Ace turned to look at him with suspicion, he smiled a little and made his peace offering: “Take care out there, eh.”

He got a confident grin in return and a sultry look over one shoulder: “I’ve got it covered!” Before the man was out the door. 

“Like hell you didn’t know he was the new undercover,” Thatch began the moment Ace was out of hearing range. “Like I’d ever believe you wouldn’t meticulously study any other undercover agent’s files the moment they’re assigned.”

Marco looked at him long and measuring, before settling on a small smirk that he knew would tell Thatch absolutely nothing. “Give me my papers, eh.”


	52. Pulling Ur Leg

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> **Prompt by** : [minister-of-silly-walks](http://minister-of-silly-walks.tumblr.com/)  
>  **Prompt** : Marco/Ace Teacher AU where the students ship it - bonus points if the strawhats are the students who ship it  
>  **Rating** : T  
>  **Warnings** : None  
>  **Tags** : Modern AU, Teachers, English Fuckery, Ace, Marco, Robin, MarcoAce  
> Originally posted [here](http://silmil-of-erebor.tumblr.com/post/129083549729/pulling-ur-leg).

If there was one thing the students of Whitebeard English Language School learned quickly, it was the inherent and unavoidable rivalry and apparent hatred between their British and American English experts. It had always been a running joke how Brits and Americans despised each other, but it’s something else when it’s an everyday experience. 

So, when their British English teacher Marco William Phoenix ( _“William. Of course it’s William. How much more British can you_ be _? It’s, like, all he needs is one ‘Sir’ in front of the name. What do you think: Sir Marco William Phoenix, the Brit! Sir Phoenix. How very pretentious, right?”_ ) and their American English teacher Ace D. Portgas (“ _Why must it be D., I wonder, don’t you? It’s such a common thing for the Americans to shorten their names, to abbreviate anything they can, eh. I’m not saying it’s because their culture is built on laziness and having everything handed to them, but perhaps it is._ ”) ended up in one room together, it was a verbal battlefield of spectacular proportions. 

Thus, the beginning of every new school year, when a curious group of new students was waiting in the main room for the introduction of their teachers, was quite the charged scene. Mr. Phoenix stood before the class and introduced what he’d be doing throughout the semester, writing down some more important points on the board, while Mr. Portgas didn’t for a moment lessen the intensity of his laser-sharp gaze from his place sitting in the middle of the other teachers. 

It was something like half-way through the introduction, when the American stood from his place, grabbed the marker from the interrupted man’s hand and went over to the board, scratching two crossed lines over the ‘u’ of ‘colour’, ‘behaviour’, ‘favourite’ and most of any other ‘ou’ combinations he could find.

“What… are you doing?” Mr. Phoenix raised an eyebrow at him in something that looked like a mix of exasperation and amusement. 

Mr. Portgas turned to him, marker posed over the ‘u’ in ‘flavour’ and with a disturbingly smug expression, declared: “Getting rid of ‘u’.”

Robin hid her smile behind her hand as she observed the new students all try not to laugh out loud at their teacher’s antics. 

Mr. Phoenix, professional as always, kept a cool façade and turned towards the class and made to continue his abandoned lecture:

“As you can all see, English is not the easiest language to master. For those of you who feel they might not be able to keep up, I believe Mr. Portgas’ classes would be the best for you. As it stands, he teaches the _simplified_ version, otherwise known as ‘American English’.”

There was a slight pause of breath in the room, then some snickers and the green-headed newbie called from the back: “ _Shots fired!_ ”, before throwing his head back in laughter.

Robin thought she’d like the new students this year a lot. 

—–

“So, what _is_ it with those two teachers?” Vivi asked, putting her trey next to Robin’s on the lunch table. 

“The English and American ones? They seem hilarious,” Nami leaned in and giggled behind her hand. 

“Oh, there is something more than hilarity going on there, I’m fairly sure,” Robin offered lightly, certain that the other two would catch the bait immediately. 

“I _knew_ it!” Nami called and put out a hand expectantly at Vivi, who sighed and pulled a couple of bills from her purse to offer.

“Ok, ok,” Vivi sighed with loss at her money, “but how do you know that? Have you seen them? Or is it just rumors?”

“Hm, well,” Robin said cryptically and eyed one of the other newbies tackling Mr. Portgas into a hug, while the green-haired meme expert seemed to be trying to pry him off. “There are very few private places in this school.”

Nami squeeled in delight and started making plans for getting proof in order to collect her other bets. 

“Zoro is gonna be _so_ broke!” She declared, before employing Vivi to scout the windows of the Teacher’s Lounge and Sanji to stalk one of them with a camera between classes. 

Robin wondered if the two men would keep meeting for lunch on the roof every day if they caught wind of it.

—–

Ace finally managed to detach Luffy from himself, and grabbing his lunch he all but ran out of the cafeteria. The lunch break was too short for his liking as it was, and he hadn’t gotten a chance to as much as see Marco all day.

Bursting out on the roof, he found the British man sitting there, all casual and relaxed and smiling softly at him.

“You took a while, today,” Marco greeted as Ace bent down to kiss him lightly. 

“My brother’s too enthusiastic for his own good,” he grinned and plopped down across from Marco in his usual place. “What do you think about the newbies?”

“They seem quite lively this year, eh,” Marco offered, digging into his own lunch. “How long do you think it’ll take them to figure out the joke’s on them?”

“I dunno,” Ace offered through a full mouth. “I saw Robin with some of the girls, but didn’t get to hear what they were talking about since Luffy ambushed me.”

“And what about us? How long are we gonna keep this up?”

“As long as it keeps being fun,” Ace laughed, and stole another kiss.


	53. Tricks of the Trade

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> **Prompt by** : [minister-of-silly-walks](http://minister-of-silly-walks.tumblr.com/)  
>  **Prompt** : Marco/Ace “I see you on the subway sometimes and I recognize you from a porno you were in and you know that’s how I recognize you so you have this godawful little smirk every time I see you and I just want to kiss you until it goes away” AU  
>  **Rating** : M, just to be safe  
>  **Warnings** : None  
>  **Tags** : Modern AU, Porn, Ace, Marco, MarcoAce  
> Originally posted [here](http://silmil-of-erebor.tumblr.com/post/129146623449/tricks-of-the-trade).

Ace started a new job, and that was a wonderful thing. He didn’t have any particular marketable skills, other than being quite good with his hands, and that was only because of Luffy’s propensity for breaking shit. He’d knock everything off of the shelves at least once a week, and after a couple of times things would break and need to be fixed. Sabo was too busy with his actual studies and trying to make something of himself, so it was up to Ace to learn how to work with electronics, and pretty much anything else in order to keep their apartment functioning.

He never really got around to getting a degree himself, though, and the fact that he’d managed to so luckily be fixing Luffy’s bike the other day, just when this big shot in this awesome company had seen him and offered him a job, was almost unbelievable. Jinbe was a decent guy, had liked and employed him even if Ace wasn’t technically qualified for the job, so now he was going to do something a bit more official than helping people move and shit. 

The company was decent enough to even pay him his transport fees, which was awesome, even if they only covered the cheapest rout, and that happened to be the subway. Ace didn’t really mind one bit, given that he lived on the first station and he could always find a seat. 

Besides, there was that hot guy that would get on the same train just one station later, and he always tended to sit right across from Ace, and holy _shit_ he was hot, ok? Ace almost missed his station the first time, but then he found out the guy got off at the same stop, so that was perfect, right? 

And Ace couldn’t help this feeling that he’d seen him somewhere, because there was something horribly familiar about him. So he stared a little (a lot) wondering where he’d seen him before, because, _seriously_ , he _had_ and it was eating him up from the inside, not being able to recall when. He should have remembered someone as hot, right?

Well, the guy didn’t even notice him staring as he almost always had his nose buried in some papers, or one of those big-screen phones. Always frowning, too. Ace thought he’d look even better if he smiled a little. 

On the plus side, work was going well. He was happy with what he did and he knew he was damn good at it. But the hours were a bit long and he still hadn’t gotten used to them, so he always came home exhausted. Luffy was as much of a handful as he’d ever been, but now that Sabo was off to university, Luffy was only _his_ handful, which made it more tiring. So, more often than not, when he came home he still found himself having to fix things and it was leaving him beat-tired at the end of the night. 

So little more than a week since he’d started his job, after having fixed the TV and yelled at Luffy to keep his hands off of it, he turned the lock on his room and booted up his computer. He needed some stress relief, and he was happy to have the chance to finally sit back and possibly get off even if it was only by his own hand. He opened his favorite video, one that never failed to get him going, and pulled down his pants with a contented sigh. 

A little while later he was just throwing out the dirty tissues, when he looked up at the ending of video and blinked. One of the actors was just leaving the room and there was something very familiar in his walk. Something that made the itching in the back of Ace’s mind unravel. It _couldn’t_ be. Could it?

The next morning he wouldn’t stop staring at the guy in the subway, wondering if he was just imagining things. He had to be, right? The hot guy was talking on his phone that day, looking somewhere between bored and annoyed, but what had to be a sudden shift in the conversation had him chuckling softly and then smirking as he delivered his response. 

Ace didn’t hear what it was, because, _well fuck_. That smirk. That goddamn _smirk_. It was pretty much hotwired to his dick, he’d gotten off to it so many times he couldn’t even count. The freaking hot guy was his favorite porn actor. Was this for real? 

He rushed into the bathroom as soon as he stepped into the office, and cursed his luck. Thinking about porn on the way to work was not the best idea.

It turned into the _worst_ idea, when only a couple of days later, he was finally introduced to the actual boss and his personal assistant. 

The _very_ hot, _very_ familiar personal assistant. 

“My name is Marco Phoenix,” _the goddamn porn actor_ said to him, extending his hand. “Jinbe’s said some very flattering things about you, Mr. Portgas. I hope we will work well together from now on.”

Ace thought: _yeah, if you let me kiss that fucking smirk off of your face, you hot fucker_ , and tried to keep himself from blushing too hard as he took the offered hand. He knew where that hand had been.

“It will be a pleasure,” he smiled shakily and mentally kicked himself for the wording. He was so fucked. And, unfortunately, not in the way he _wanted_ to be.


	54. Just Shoot

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> **Prompt by** : [minister-of-silly-walks](http://minister-of-silly-walks.tumblr.com/)  
>  **Prompt** : Marco/Ace “A mutual friend of ours has this whole vision for their Black and White Photography final and we volunteered to be their models without knowing how sexual this shoot would turn out” AU where Izo is the friend in question.  
>  **Rating** : E  
>  **Warnings** : NSFW  
>  **Tags** : Modern AU, Photography, Meddling Family Member, Ace, Marco, MarcoAce  
> Originally posted [here](http://silmil-of-erebor.tumblr.com/post/129237882699/just-shoot).

Ace had his head thrown back, arms reaching over it and his entire body stretched, neck exposed and vulnerable. It wasn’t his idea for the most comfortable position while posing, but at least Izo had been clear in what he’d wanted from him. 

Well, he’d been clear on it only long after Ace had actually agreed and come in that morning for the photos. He hadn’t known from beforehand how very _sexual_ the whole thing would be.

Unfortunately, the other guy – Marco, they’d just met this morning (and Marco was admittedly very hot and _very much_ allowed to be Ace’s partner in this) wasn’t as lucky with the instructions he had been given. 

“What’re you even _doing_ with that hand?” Izo groused, as he seemed displeased with the location of Marco’s arm. The one that wasn’t rested right next to Ace’s bowed-back head to keep the man from putting all of his weight on Ace. From where he was leaning very much over and into Ace’s personal space. As bare-chested as Ace himself was. 

_Shit_. Good thing this was too awkward for any weird boners popping up. Cause that would make it even _more_ awkward, and that would certainly brake a scale or two.

“I don’t know, eh,” Marco sounded annoyed, if Ace could read him properly. “What do you _want_ me to be doing with it?” His breath was washing over Ace’s throat and he felt very close to being ticklish. Fuck Izo and fuck his stupid photography projects. And fuck Ace even _more_ for agreeing in the first place.

“Well, how about you actually try and act like you want to fuck him and figure it out yourself?” Izo replied huffily, and Ace heard his camera snapping a few pictures from an angle where the offending hand couldn’t be seen. 

Barely a moment later, though, the sound of the camera stopped registering at all, because it seemed that Marco took that suggestion to heart and his entire posture shifted. It wasn’t just his hand that found its way to the curve of Ace’s hip, wrapping possessively, but the mere inch of space between them seemed to melt away and Ace’s breath hitched at the feel of a strong, firm chest pressing down on his own. He couldn’t see the other man, but he could _feel_ in every place they touched, the shift from reluctance to something very much like barely-reigned in impatience. 

Something in that change made him from an equally abused victim of Izo’s insanity into _prey_ and it made his own body sing with the sensation, and his hands ball into fists in his effort not to move. He could feel Marco’s breath against his neck and was suddenly helplessly conscious of those teeth so very close to his skin. He wasn’t sure if he wanted to pull away from them, or ask Marco to _bite_. 

He held his breath in an effort to not let it stutter as the moment dragged on, every nerve in his body now on high alert for the smallest brush.

“Oh, this one looks great I need to see it on the computer!” Izo exclaimed suddenly and in a rush of motion the door was shut behind him. 

And it was only Ace and Marco, then. A very _half-naked_ Ace pressed into the ground by an equally _half-naked_ Marco and trying not to move, because he was certain the strained anticipation of the previous moment had _actually_ given him an erection. Shit, he needed to break the stalemate somehow, to make it less awkward for them to draw apart, but how? 

As always, his mouth ran ahead of him to solve his problem with little input from his brain. He needed to _do_ something about that habit one day.

“Izo’s been trying to get me to hook up with someone for a while, you know,” he said and immediately realized the million ways in which this declaration would not help the situation. 

The response was still far, _far_ from anything he’d been expecting. 

“Oh?” Marco’s word was more like a breath that ghosted over Ace’s neck so sensually he was certain it couldn’t possibly had been a mistake, and he had to tense every muscle in his body to stop the shivers that were threatening to shake him whole.

He remained there, frozen and uncertain, as Marco’s lips pressed once to his skin, then shifted up, applying the softest pressure as they climbed up the column of his throat. When he was hovering right under his chin, Marco scratched his teeth against Ace and this time the shivers ran rampant and unstoppable as his toes curled into the air. He was sure the other man could _taste_ how shaky his breaths had become. 

There was a light brush of tongue right there, and then that mouth descended on him, newly moistened lips and hot tongue burning a trail back down to his shoulder, where Marco _bit_.

It was that small sting of pain that finally threw Ace into motion, his earlier awkwardness and hesitation forgotten, as he looped one leg over the back of Marco’s and brought his hands down to clutch at his hair and pull him face to face with Ace. When their lips met, sudden and too-long anticipated, it was everything it had promised to be and more. 

Marco’s hot lips and agile tongue played with his own and left Ace shaken to his very core. He wasn’t just erect anymore, he was _desperate_ , the previous slow pace forgotten to make way for something explosive and almost violent. Marco kissed with both the leashed strength that had been hinted at under the hard muscles, and the competence of his attitude. Ace felt almost lost in it, truly like prey and _loving_ it, because there was nothing that could get him going quite as fast as someone who knew exactly what he wanted from him, and how to get it.

And as he felt that possessive hand shift from his hip, inching lower by the moment, past the hem of his pants and right towards the prize beneath, he arched his back off the floor and pressed his hips up into Marco’s. He was happy to discover that the man was as hard as him, happy to know this wasn’t one-sided, that he wasn’t going too far ahead of himself. Happier _still_ with the impatient growl that the action pulled from Marco and the sparks of pleasure running up his spine from the sound and the motion both. 

“Ooh, _fuck_ ,” Ace cursed when Marco ground his hips down onto him, all but fucking him into the ground, and _yes_ , yes Ace wanted him to, hard and strong just like this. He wanted to be pressed down and claimed and Marco was doing _such a good job_ when he hadn’t even taken his pants off yet. 

“I don’t think I have the patience for that right now,” Marco hissed into his ear, his voice suddenly so low and smooth it slipped down Ace’s spine like molten gold. And as if to drive his point home, Marco skipped his slow progress altogether and wrapped his hand around Ace’s hard length. The sudden motion made Ace throw his head back and keen loudly, nails scratching at the exposed flesh on Marco’s back in desperate search for a handhold. 

The pace Marco set was _relentless_ , jumping right into sharp, hard pulls as soon as he had Ace’s erection freed. The sudden onslaught of pleasure made Ace cry out as his hips thrust up on their own, his muscles tensed up and his whole body racing towards what promised to be an explosive finish. He barely had the presence of mind to tug on the back of Marco’s own pants, trying to remember how to reciprocate what was being done to him. 

Marco growled into his hair, mouth releasing his ear where he’d been doing his best to leave teeth marks, and let go of Ace only for the moment it took him to snap his button open and push his pants down, pressing his heavy erection against Ace’s and wrapping his hand back around both of them. 

Ace was panting, struggling for breath through his need, pushing up into Marco’s grip and on the verge of begging, needing something, _anything_ to bring him over the edge. He threw his head back uncoordinatedly, unmindful of how it thumped against the hard floor, and pulled at Marco’s hair in silent pleas.

The man seemed to read him like an open book, pressing his face right up into Ace’s neck, sucking and licking against his flushed skin and promising everything Ace wanted. He was meeting every downward move of Marco’s hand with a thrust of his own, his control balanced on the tip of a needle, and he needed, he _needed_ -

“Please, ple-“ his second plea was cut off by his sudden, helpless cry as Marco bit, harsh and unforgiving, just where he’d bitten earlier, the sudden edge of pain throwing him headfirst into a mind-numbing orgasm that had him painting his own chest in hot spurts. He fought to remember how to breathe through the aftershocks, as Marco kept thrusting against him, and just managed to open his eyes in time to see the other man staring into his face as if in a daze. 

And, just like _that_ , like that eye-contact had been all he’d needed, Marco was tumbling into pleasure after him, back bowing and his face pressing into Ace’s neck again, his lips working around unspoken words and his entire body shaking from the strength of it. 

—–

Izo clicked through his pictures, being very pointedly deaf to the unmistakable sounds coming from the other room. He liked the result in more ways than one: the sheer sexual energy that spilled from the last few shots as rewarding to see in his photography work, as the thought that he’d finally found someone for his brother to try his luck with. Ace was a nice guy and Izo was sure him and Marco could make a relationship work without much effort, and what better way to make them realize it than to throw them head-first into it?

The door to his studio clicked open a little while later, and he couldn’t help himself from snapping a quick photo of the emerging duo – Ace, color high on his cheeks and his whole face shining as bright as his eyes, and Marco behind him, his entire body language centered around Ace, eyes locked on the purpling mark that just peeked over Ace’s collar. 

They were so obviously well-fucked and satisfied, Izo would have had no issues guessing what had happened in his living room even if he hadn’t heard all of it.

“How did the photos turn out?” Ace asked, nonchalant as you please, ignoring the death glare that Marco was throwing Izo over his shoulder, even if it was so heated it _had_ to be singing his skin right off.

“I got what I wanted from them,” Izo smirked and shot a wink at his brother. Marco would thank him for this, eventually.


	55. Dancing Around the Subject

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> **Prompt by** : Anon  
>  **Prompt** : Sequel to Dancing for Pleasure? I would love to see what happens on the date~  
>  **Rating** : T  
>  **Warnings** : None  
>  **Tags** : Modern AU, Dancers, Marco, Vivi, Ace, MarcoAce  
>  **Sequel to** [Chapter 28: Dancing for Pleasure ](http://archiveofourown.org/works/4325103/chapters/9946010)  
>  Originally posted [here](http://silmil-of-erebor.tumblr.com/post/131078845539/sequel-to-dancing-for-pleasure-i-would-love-to).

It was late morning, closing in on noon, when Vivi’s phone rang. She’d just finished her daily work-out and was just about ready to dive into a whole sea of unhealthy food and indulgence, when she was pulled out of her thoughts by the melody of her ringtone rising over the background music. A quick click on her remote turned the stereo down and she smiled at the grinning photo on the id screen.

“How are you this lovely morning?” She greeted and the laugh on the other side made her almost giddy. She couldn’t deny she was beyond curious, and Ace sounded happy, so it must have gone well, right?

“So. Damned. _Sore_ ,” he cackled and Vivi felt herself huff indignantly at the implications. 

“Putting out on the first date?” She teased. “I never would have pegged you for that kind of girl, Ace!”

“Oh, I am _totally_ that kind of girl,” he snickered evilly. “Though, unfortunately, we didn’t get that far.”

That actually had her pausing for a moment. 

“You _didn’t_?” Vivi couldn’t really help how disbelieving she sounded.

“Fuck, I wish we had, but he had other plans. _Plans_ , Vivi, actual plans!” Ace was laughing again. “I don’t remember the last time I went out on a date that wasn’t just dropping at the closest place to eat, or take out or something like that.”

“ _You_ don’t plan dates,” which was exactly why their one feeble attempt at going out a few years ago had been so disastrous. “That doesn’t mean other people don’t.”

“Nah, you can’t set the mood for a date before you’ve even met with the person! I mean, how the hell do I know if I’ll be feeling like dinner or movie from a week beforehand?” 

“You _always_ feel like dinner,” she felt fairly justified in pointing out. “Now cut the chit-chat and tell me how it went!”

This date was something that Ace had been itching for since the first time he’d seen Marco on the dancefloor, and there might have been the slightest hint of envy in Vivi when the man had seemed so very interested and happy to oblige. Why were all the hot dancers always gay or taken?

“I am _so_ sore,” he sighed happily again, which didn’t really make much sense now that he’d insisted they hadn’t just jumped in bed at the first opportunity. “Oh my god, Vivi, did you even _know_ that there are still swing clubs out there?”

It took barely a moment for comprehension to click in her mind.

“He took you to a _swing club_?” She shrieked in delight, inwardly cursing everything that she’d opted out of spying on this particular date. Seeing those two dance had to have been something indeed.

“We danced for _hours_ ,” Ace sighed dreamily and Vivi could just about imagine the smitten expression on his face. “Like, seriously, by the end I was so tired I didn’t have the _strength_ to jump him,” oh, she was fairly sure that had been the only thing to stop him there. “But you know what? I don’t regret a single moment of it. It was the best freaking date _ever_.”

“Ace,” she cut in teasingly. “I’ve seen you try dancing with other men before, you can’t follow for shit.”

“Yeah, right,” he snorted, sounding affronted. “That’s only because Sabo can’t lead his way out of a paper bag.”

“No, it’s because you are incapable of not being competitive for five minutes,” she laughed, remembering all the very dismal attempts those two had made of dancing together. Both Sabo and Ace, separately, could be spectacular on the dancefloor, but together? They kept stepping on each other’s toes, both trying to lead at the same time, glaring and flailing their limbs all over the place. It was one of the most hilarious things she’d seen.

“He encourages it,” Ace retorted and she could practically hear the unrepentant smile in his voice. “And anyway, Marco’s freaking fantastic at leading and if he’s anywhere as good at sex as he is at dancing, I’m _never_ leaving his bed.”

“First you have to get into it,” Vivi pointed out, happiness for how thoroughly besotted her friend was warming her up from the inside. 

“Oh, I’m pretty sure that will be the next step. After he cooks me dinner next Tuesday.”

“He cooks!” She exclaimed and threw her free arm into the air. “Are you sure he’s not secretly a serial killer? No one is _that_ perfect!”

“Hey, if all I have to put up with are a couple of corpses rotting in his yard you won’t hear me complaining,” he laughed whole-heartedly. 

“What if he snores?” 

“Then I’ll learn to snore louder so I can sleep through it.”

“You are _so_ gone over him!” She laughed incredulous at her friend and could feel his warm contentment radiating over the line.

“Yeah. Yeah, I am.” And maybe that was a good thing.


	56. A Tragedy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> **Prompt by** : [okamidemon](http://okamidemon.tumblr.com/)  
>  **Prompt** : a tragedy  
>  **Rating** : T  
>  **Warnings** : Non-explicit violence  
>  **Tags** : Canon Compliant, Angst, Injuries, Tragedy, Law, Kid, KidLaw  
> Originally posted [here](http://silmil-of-erebor.tumblr.com/post/131227686219/a-tragedy).

“It’s such a tragedy,” the old pirate had said in a voice that didn’t even hold a hint of regret in it. Law knew mockery, he knew ridicule and he knew scorn. The fact that this man, this vile _trash_ had gotten to the Kid Pirates when they’d been down was beyond a mockery of faith, for example. His words, while _meant_ as such, were far too true.

It _was_ a tragedy. 

And he was going to make it a bigger one.

After all, Law was a vengeful man. He’s been holding onto his childhood grudge against the government for over a decade. Longer even than the one he holds against Doflamingo - a vice-grip that can never be broken, unless the man himself is. But those could wait. He didn’t have the means to exact his revenge, not yet. 

_This_ pirate? This self-proclaimed destroyer of the Kid Pirates? This scum? He was right in the palm of Law’s hand. 

So Law _crushed_ him. 

(It was the first time Penguin actually looked like he might be a little afraid of Law. Law found he really didn’t like that look, not when it was turned on _him_.)

It took them a little while to reach the Island. Not because it was that far, or because Law had better things to do. It was mostly because Law really wasn’t in a hurry to see what was left of Kid’s crew. He wasn’t in a hurry to confirm what had happened with his own two eyes.

Getting attached always led him here, though, he figured. It always had. He’d thought it would be different this time. Kid was _strong_. He was _supposed_ to be. Strong and fierce and bright like a fucking flame. Like a bonfire. He was supposed to be ok on his own, he was supposed to be untouchable. To bring the New World to its knees, just like he boasted that he would. 

He was _not_ \- he was _never_ supposed to lose. 

Law didn’t _want_ to see it. But he _had_ to.

It took them a while (seven days and twelve hours and thirteen minutes and –) to reach the island. It took Law another while (two days and six hours and fifty three minutes) too seek out their ship. 

He doesn’t know what he expects. Maybe a wreckage in the shallows to the north side. Maybe a broken hull and torn sails, maybe bent metal and a destroyed home. A mourning, a torn apart crew, a corpse. A broken heart. 

(So many times now, this might actually be its last.)

What he finds, is this:

The ship is docked – still enough of it left to dock, still an anchor and a mast and the battered but steady form of it tilting lightly with the waves.

The crew is working – Heat hanging upside down in some attempt at fixing the bow, Wire yelling something from the crow’s nest, the rest scuttling around like ants.

Kid- 

Kid. Standing there, winded and pissed-looking, face half-scratched off, one arm missing, but-

Alive. 

Alive and looking ten times more lively and pissed off than Law remembers him. 

He takes a moment, just standing there. He takes a moment to see it, to _comprehend_ it. To watch Kid drag his one good hand through his dirty hair – oil and filth slipping down the wrench he’s holding for no more than a moment, before he throws it at one of his crewmates with a few choice words following suit. 

_Kid_ , alive and brimming with energy. 

It’s a tragedy, really. How that very sight almost drops him down to his knees in something that’s a savage mix between horror and relief. Horror, because if it wasn’t now, it would have to be next time.

(Because nothing _ever_ sticks around, not the things he _wants_ , anyway.) 

Relief, because he’s _alive_. 

“The fuck are you staring at?” Kid, Eustass, _Kid_ , in all his scowling glory and narrowed eyes and lightning-quick temper. With all the vitality under the sun. He’s at the railing now – one of the very few places where it’s still standing. He’s leaning over it, both eyes on Law and teeth bared in warning. He has bandages wrapped over his entire torso and an arm missing, and his face looks like someone tried to tear it in two.

“Your face,” Law says and feels all the metal on him - on his clothes, inside his pockets, piercing his skin - vibrate softly, as if standing at attention, as if trying to tug him forward. All it does is curve his lips into a smile. “It’s a _tragedy_.”


	57. Spinning on Four Wheels

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> **Prompt by** : [razzledazzle2k13](http://razzledazzle2k13.tumblr.com/)  
>  **Prompt** : Law’s car breaks down on his way to work. He has to call a tow truck and it ends up at Kid’s garage. Law of course is a big shot and Kid is just a smart ass kid with a love for fast cars, of which Law has.  
>  **Rating** : T  
>  **Warnings** : None  
>  **Tags** : Modern AU, Cars, First Meeting, Law, Kid, KidLaw  
> Originally posted [here](http://silmil-of-erebor.tumblr.com/post/131268316744/spinning-on-four-wheels).

There was a _reason_ Law bought top-of-the-line cars. 

Well, there were multiple reasons, really. One was that they were a clear display of class, of money, of influence. Not just anyone could afford the kind of cars Law drove. It was a certain sense of showmanship that he’d learned from Doflamingo a long time ago.

It was the respect he got on the streets with them. Just the sight of the vehicle turned heads, made people stop and stare and that, well. It was just another boost to his ego.

But there was also the speed. Those rare times when he just dropped everything for a day to turn down the freeway and be _gone_. With windows down and the wind in his hair, engine revved to give all it can give and an endless stretch of road. It’s the best kind of stress relief he’s discovered in all his years of being a world-renown surgeon. 

But that was all beside the point. The point was that there was one other very specific reason Law drove the kind of cars he did. They were expensive and classy, fast and flashy, and they were supposed to be _durable_. 

They were _not_ supposed to stutter to a pathetic stop in the middle of his drive home after a 13 hour shift. 

And they didn’t, most of the time. Except when they _did_.

“The… what?” He blinked at the oil-stained mechanic who was swinging a rag dirtier than just about anything Law had ever seen around. 

“The fuel pump is out.” He repeated, slowly as if speaking to a child. Law felt torn between reaching to wring his neck and scurrying away from all the exotic diseases that had to be hiding in the rag.

“Put it back in, then,” he settled on finally while glaring at the offensive piece of cloth.

“I can’t just put it back in, the thing’s shot to hell,” the mechanic said, running his hand – the one he’d held that rag in, Jesus – through his hair. Law felt a little mournful. It was such nice bright red hair, and now it would all fall out. Such a shame. “You need a new one.”

“Can you get one?” The man’s forehead twitched over one eye. Law supposed he might be raising an eyebrow, if he’d had any. 

“Sure, but it ain’t gonna be cheap,” he threw the rag away – finally – and turned to his computer. “It’s a pretty new model, you know?”

“Is it gonna cost more than a new car?” Law deadpanned earning what had to be a double-eyebrow raise, if he was reading the forehead movements right. And, shit, what’s with that look, it was a legit question. He’d had assholes trying to scam him out of more money than a new car would have cost him more than enough times to not ask. 

“One of those beauties?” the man nodded towards the car in the back of the shop. “No, but you can probably buy 3 older models for the same price.”

“I don’t care much for the older models,” Law said and pulled out his credit card. “How soon can it be done?”

“Depends,” the man rested both arms on the counter and leaned down on them grinning at Law suggestively. “Am I gonna get a victory spin if I do it extra-fast?”


	58. Spin With Promise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> **Inspired by** : [this](http://lehnsherrandxavier.tumblr.com/post/131318684881/andasr-powai-spin-the-bottle-except-instead) version of Spin the Bottle  
>  **Rating** : M  
>  **Warnings** : Cursing  
>  **Tags** : Modern AU, Spin the Bottle, Kid, Law, KidLaw  
> Originally posted [here](http://silmil-of-erebor.tumblr.com/post/131351275549/spin-with-promise).

Kid was having a good damn evening, ok? 

The booze was good, there was pizza earlier, even if he’d had to fight Bonny off of it to get a fucking slice. Apoo, the ass, was playing that _thing_ he called music again and it was kind of driving Kid up the wall, but after the second drinking contest he’d found it much easier to ignore.

These parties were actually turning out to be fun in spite of the company. Would you look at that.

It was precisely the reason he let his guard down. There was no other explanation for why he’d let these morons drag him into a Spin the Bottle game. 

Only with less smooching and more slapping. 

Fuck. How’d he agree to this? No, seriously, there was a portion of the last hour there that was completely missing.

Maybe if he drank some more he’d manage to black out for the rest of this bullshit, too. 

Too bad that it had just gotten interesting, though. Because he’d just, _finally_ , gotten to hit Apoo in the face (apparently he wasn’t the only one who couldn’t stand the douche’s music) and now that it had been his turn to spin the stupid thing, it’d landed on Trafalgar.

Fucking _Trafalgar_.

Oh, Kid knew for a fact the guy would get a lot out of punching him in the face. Theirs had been a certain dislike-at-first-sight and neither had made any effort to change the status quo. Trafalgar was abrasive and arrogant and a fucking sly son of a bitch, and he grated on Kid’s nerves like nothing else. His superior attitude made the redhead want to wring his neck. 

Now the freaking voting was finally done and Zoro had called him back in the room, all grinning and waggling eyebrows (alcohol really did something to the guy) and he was staring down Trafalgar. Kid really thought it’d have been better if he’d gotten so piss-drunk he’d passed out an hour ago. Fuck.

Trafalgar took another swing from his drink and got up from his place on the floor with a certain steadiness that a man who’d been steadily consuming alcohol for hours shouldn’t have. He prowled straight through the circle and up to Kid, and shit, he looked so fucking smug about this.

Kid drew himself up to his full height and narrowed his eyes in challenge. If the ass hit him now, he’d have hell to pay later. And if he didn’t read that in Kid’s body language, then he was a fucking moron, and he’d deserve his beating when it came. 

Trafalgar stood in front of him, meeting him stare for stare, eyes flashing with badly concealed excitement and something Kid couldn’t quite read, and he was just about to blow up in the asshole’s face to hurry it the fuck up, when one of his arms shot up faster than Kid could react and squeezed in the fine hairs at the back of his neck. 

Barely a moment later, and Trafalgar’s tongue was running over his lips in an obnoxious kind of licking motion that would have had Kid jerking away if the hand at the back of his head hadn’t kept him in place. 

“Why, Mr Eustass,” Law grinned like the cat that had gotten the fucking canary for dessert. “I never would have pegged you for a strawberry flavor kind of guy.”

Kid opened his mouth with a retort so scathing it was burning the tip of his tongue off, because fuck Trafalgar and fuck his bullshit, Kid’s lipstick did _not_ taste like strawberries, but all and every word died a pathetic death in the back of his throat, when Law’s lips fastened on his so tight he made a futile step back.

Law didn’t give an inch, instead pushing right up into Kid’s space and pressing in with his tongue in a manner so infuriatingly direct and certain in its rightness that it had Kid bristling with irritation. 

So right there, with a mouthful of Law’s, admittedly very capable, tongue, Kid decided he was going to give as good as he got, whatever that might cost him. 

His hands grabbed onto Law’s skinny hips and he crushed the smaller body against his own, pressing back into the kiss with a certain enthusiasm that seemed to catch Law unawares. Using the momentary distraction, Kid took the reigns and plunged into Law’s mouth with a fervor that had him arching his back under Kid’s hands. 

The noise that made it out of Law’s throat was indecent , but it only served to drive Kid forward, to propel him deeper into the kiss until he felt like he was trying to lick the taste of the man right out of his mouth. 

The hand that wasn’t twisted into his hair grabbed onto his shoulder, weather to pull him closer or to help with Law’s balance he couldn’t tell, and Law seemed to be back in the game, drawing Kid’s tongue out farther and then sucking on it like it was the best treat he’d ever tasted. It was absolutely _indecent_ and Kid had a very detailed imagery of how that mouth would feel wrapped around something very different, and…

Shit. 

Shit crap godfucking _damn_.

He was not getting hard in the middle of this stupid room in the middle of this retarded game. He was _not_.

Only problem was, he _was_. 

Somehow he had the feeling Trafalgar Law would never let him live this down. 

Well. If he delivered on everything that filthy mouth was promising, Kid decided he just might let him get away with it, after all.


	59. Some Diseases Run Deeper

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> **Prompt by** : [nebubu](http://nebubu.tumblr.com/)  
>  **Prompt** : KidLaw “dont treat me like a baby”  
>  **Rating** : T  
>  **Warnings** : None  
>  **Tags** : Canon Compliant, Sickness, Law has Issues, Angst, Law, Kid, KidLaw  
> Originally posted [here](http://silmil-of-erebor.tumblr.com/post/131423685104/some-diseases-run-deeper).

Law was being a bitch.

It was worse than his usual insolent attitude, worse than his inability to take any kind of criticism. Those were both things that could, and often did, drive Kid so fucking tired of his bullshit, but this time he had to cut the man some slack. 

Because he looked like hell warmed over and, shit, Kid didn’t get sick that often, but when he did he was so fucking miserable he couldn’t think straight. And Law? Law didn’t just have a cold or anything, Law was full-blown reanimated corpse walking levels of sick. His eyes were sunken and the circles beneath them looked as if they’d fit the entire planet if they grew any deeper. He seemed to constantly be running a fever if the sweaty shine on his skin was any indication, and his complexion was pale and a little grayish in a manner which did nothing to put Kid’s mind at ease. He wavered on his feet and could hardly keep his eyes opened half of the time and the way he kept rubbing his temples reminded Kid of that time he'd had the mother of all hangovers.

And still, he was moving around the freaking ship. Still, he was insisting that he wanted to just do his work, Mr. Eustass, would you stop your incessant hovering? Still he kept flipping through books and ignoring his first mate’s worried glances, still he was doing his fucking best to overexert himself. 

And when Kid actually offered to help? He decided he _really_ needed to be a bitch right the fuck _now_.

“Just cut the crap, Trafalgar, the bed’s right there,” Kid growled, his annoyance reaching a certain boiling point that usually had him throwing things and breaking skulls. Law had no idea how special he was, really. 

“I don’t need a bed,” he sniffled pathetically from where he was bent in two over a book at his desk, head propped up by a hand because he couldn’t even keep it up by his own strength anymore. 

“Come on, just sleep for a while or whatever, you’ll feel better after,” Kid couldn’t really do much about how fucking condescending that sounded, and the death glare he received in return was doing its level best to burn his skin right off.

“I don’t need you to treat me like a baby,” Law hissed and shit, his voice sounded wrecked, all low and gravelly, like he did when he’d been deepthroating Kid like a champion just minutes before. Only the rest of him, with his blood-shot eyes and red nose made for a very unappealing image that sent those thoughts right out the window.

“Well, if you’d stop acting like one and admit that you’re sick-“

“I’m _not sick_!” Law stood up so suddenly that he sent his chair tumbling half-way across the room. It might have been an impressive show of aggression, if he hadn’t stumbled and almost crumbled to the ground barely a moment later, his hands gripping the edge of the desk the only thing that held him upright. 

He blinked quickly as if to shake the dizziness, but his hands were gripping so tight into the wood his knuckles were turning white.

Kid’s blood seemed to freeze in his veins. 

He wasn’t the smartest person out there – there were many things he prided himself on, but a genius-level intellect was not one of them. He didn’t have the years of knowledge Law did when it came to medicine and biology, and he knew fuck all about what Law called 'the human condition'. But he had instincts, and he’d always trusted those when all else proved futile. 

And right now? Right now, watching Law swaying on his feet so sick he was almost unconscious and refusing to face the fact? It was a big, flashing red flag that had a certain sense of unease creeping up his spine. This, whatever it was, was bigger than a simple illness. For the Surgeon of Death, it was bigger and darker and much more dangerous. 

Kid didn’t know all there was to know about his fellow captain. There had been mentions of a White City which meant just about nothing to him, and of burning hospitals at one point, but Kid had been half-way to sleep by then, so it hadn’t made much sense to him. It didn’t now, either, but there was something in the rigid tightness of Law’s shoulders right now, which reminded him of the first time he’d gotten the man completely naked and been presented with the lingering discoloration on his skin. Something that reminded him of that there was a past dark enough to make Law into what he was, a past that he might not know everything about, but he just might understand. 

He stepped across the room slowly, watching Law’s downcast expression for any sign that he was unwelcome, but Law seemed to be using all of his energy to keep on his feet. Well, any energy that wasn’t wasted on whatever the underlying problem here was. 

When he stood barely half a step behind the doctor, Kid reached a hand and laid a broad palm over the small of his back, a place he knew one of the biggest white splotches of skin remained. The muscles under his hand tightened like Law was expecting the contact to bring pain, and his intake of air was audible, as was the tremor in his exhale. Kid could feel him shivering like a leaf under his touch and he couldn't tell if it was from exhaustion or something else. 

“You don’t hafta be dying to do something about it, yanno,” he said, his voice sounding strangely soft to his own ears. “You obviously feel like shit. Lie down, let your damn nurse-boy take care of you. Get better.” 

“He’s not my nurse,” Law shot back predictably, but the tension was lessening now, his back no longer rigid under Kid’s palm, his fingers no longer shaking on the polished wood. He turned, slowly, not dislodging Kid’s hand from where it rested, and stepping into his personal space instead. His eyes never met Kid’s, but there was a defeated expression on his face and he looked very tired. “I might be… sick. Just a little,” he admitted and that, alone, seemed to take some of the burden off his shoulders, as he let himself sag against Kid’s taller frame. “But I’ll get better.”

“Yeah,” Kid wrapped both arms around Law, allowing the moment to stretch, just holding him and supporting the strong man in his arms for as long as he needed it. All the while, a part of him hoped he'd never have to see this weak side of him ever again. “Let’s get you to bed.


	60. For Better or for Worse

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> **Prompt by** : [eustasskid-redhairedbastard](http://eustasskid-redhairedbastard.tumblr.com/)  
>  **Prompt** : KidLaw, ‘Dude, you just shot my arm off. Do they not hire assassins with an aim anymore?’ AU”  
>  **Rating** : M  
>  **Warnings** : Gore, Major Injury, Light Angst, Gun Violence, Cursing  
>  **Tags** : Assassin AU, Injury, Hurt/Comfort (in a way?), Job gone bad, Law, Kid, KidLaw  
> Originally posted [here](http://silmil-of-erebor.tumblr.com/post/131615092089/for-better-or-for-worse).

There were a number of reasons why Law normally did jobs alone. There was a smaller chance of backstabbing, for one. Law knew the ins and outs of this world and he was well aware how very easy it was to get too greedy and take out your partner shortly before payoff. In fact, he’d had people try that shit on him and made sure none of them walked out of it, anyway.

“ _Fuck_ , you son of a bitch _god_ damn mother _fucker_!” 

Also, solo jobs meant fewer variables, and Law was a self-admitted control freak. He’d come to terms with the fact that he can never control his targets, but not being able to truly control his assets as well left him jittery and uncomfortable with the whole thing. There was only so much he could trust the people that turned towards this kind of business, after all. 

“I believe everyone who knows you is well aware of your extensive repertoire of curses, though your demonstration is much appreciated.” 

There were few other assassins he could even say he could trust as far as he could throw them, and only one that he’d ever really been comfortable working beside. And even then, it had taken months of weary cohabitation and steadily learning each other’s quirks before he could do his job correctly in his company. But _there_ came an entirely different reason for Law to dislike working alongside one Eustass Kid. 

“You _fucker_ ,” Kid panted, leaning heavily against the wall. “You just shot my arm off. Do they not hire assassins with an aim anymore?” He growled in Law’s face, his right arm holding onto the opposite shoulder and a manic look in his eyes. 

“My apologies, Mr. Eustass,” he delivered dryly, tearing his coat into portioned pieces of cloth. “Next time a target with a knife is lunging for your throat, I’ll aim for their kneecaps. Wouldn’t want them walking away after butchering you, now, would we?”

“Maybe try the handgun instead of the fucking rifle next ti-“ his protest ended in a howl as Law’s fingers dug into his bloodied stump to pull out a couple pieces of plaster and some torn fabric. A rather colorful cursing streak followed as Law pulled what was left of his arm up and leaned it on the wall.

“Keep it there,” he said briskly. Kid would be so very lucky if this didn’t get infected. “Did you think, for a moment, that if I had time to reach for my handgun, I would have had time for other alternatives as well?” He asked, but there was no real bite to his snark this time, as most of as attention was focused elsewhere. 

“ _Warn_ me when you fucking do that you shitty excuse for a-“

“I’m doing it,” Law interrupted, as he proceeded to layer the remnants of his coat over the open wound, pressing in steadily to stop the blood flow. Kid cut himself off again, but managed not to scream, instead slamming his head back against the concrete he was leaning on and gritting his teeth so hard they might have cracked. And they still might, Law thought with distaste. Too bad he didn’t really have anything to offer for the pain. 

“ _Stop_ that,” Law hissed, grabbing at the back of Kid’s head before he hit it again. “This is bad enough as it is, I don’t think you want a concussion to go with it.” 

“Just gimme something to bite down on,” Kid grit out, but Law’s attention was already back on securing the bandages and checking if there was any blood seeping through them. 

“We don’t have time for that,” he said regretfully, as he finished what had to be the fastest emergency amputation aftercare in the history of everything. “We need to get out of here.” 

He did his best to ignore the stickiness of Kid’s blood on his hands while he thought back to blueprints and schematics and the fastest extraction options. They might have gotten their target, but there was also the question of getting themselves out of there alive, which was not something he felt confident he’d manage if Kid was as bad as he looked.

“Can you stand?” He asked, getting back to his feet in one steady motion and offering a hand to the bigger man. The look he received was positively scathing, but Kid took his hand anyway and wobbled to an upright position. 

And Law could have worked with that, could have turned his back to this entire thing until they were out of there and safe, but this was _Kid_ , looking pale and in pain, Kid who’d just _lost an arm_ , and Law had to know if they were alright, if this was even worth it anymore. 

He put his own bloodstained hands to Kid’s face and went in for the kill, pressing his mouth against the tight line of Kid’s lips and waiting, his brain running all the possible scenarios in the back of his mind for an added sense of anticipation and dread. There were so many reasons for Kid to push him away right now, to not want to even look at him and he wasn’t sure what he’d even do if this had ruined them. 

Then Kid pressed back against him, one arm coming up to grip at Law’s neck and forced his way into Law’s mouth in a lightning-fast act of aggression and desperation, and, relieved, Law thought maybe they could fix this after all. 

“I’m _sorry_ ,” he breathed against Kid’s lips when they came up for air, the moment they’d shared feeling far too short and unfulfilling. “”We’ll figure it out, but first, I need to get you out of here.” 

He looked up into Kid’s eyes and saw, despite everything, despite of what he’d just done, that there was _trust_ in them. It made his chest ache at the same time that his heart felt like it was swelling too much to fit inside him. 

“You’d better.”


	61. Drowning Bridges

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> **Prompt by** : Anon  
>  **Prompt** : suicidal Law please  
>  **Rating** : M  
>  **Warnings** : Attempted Suicide  
>  **Tags** : Modern AU, Suicide Attempt, First Meeting, Law, Kid, KidLaw  
> Originally posted [here](http://silmil-p-ain.tumblr.com/post/133137483094/kidlaw-suicidal-law-please).

Kid wasn’t used to being awoken in the middle of the night. He also hated it, and the last time Heat had done it he’d learned to never repeat except for emergencies. The rest knew better, so Kid’s nights usually went uninterrupted. 

Except when they didn’t.

The ringtone was obnoxious and it felt like it was drilling into his brain and whoever was calling him at half-past two in the goddamn morning better fucking say their prayers because Kid was about ready to wring their neck.

He unstuck one eye with difficulty and grabbed at the jingling monstrosity. It was an unknown ID, but that was nothing new - he knew people (Heat) who kept forgetting their own phones and pestering their friends or complete strangers to let them call. If this was Heat, Kid was so going to kill him when he got to the garage in the morning.

“Wha’ th’ fuck d’you want?” He slurred, voice half-muffled by the pillow. There was noise on the other side of the line, trickling into his brain. It sounded familiar, like something he should recognise, but he wasn’t sure what it was.

“I have a hypothetical question for you,” a voice that was most certainly not Heat came from the receiver. It wasn’t anyone he knew, actually. Kid blinked in confusion and yawned into the phone, so very tempted to hang up and go back to sleep. Crap.

“An’ whazzat?” He asked, too tired to really bother with anything but ending this soon. There might have been a sliver of curiosity there, too.

“If a person you don’t know, a person you’ve never met, a complete stranger who has nothing to do with your life were standing at the edge of a bridge, ready to jump,” there was a strange quality to the voice, something Kid couldn’t figure out, half-asleep as he was. “would you stop them?”

The words and their meaning filtered slowly to Kid’s brain as it took its sweet time in fitting them together and deciphering the question. In the quiet, the background noise rang louder, trickling, like water. Running water.

Suddenly wide awake, Kid sat up in bed and squeezed the phone in his hand.

“Where the fuck are you?” He asked the man on the other side, heart in his throat. “What the _fuck_ are you doing?”

There was an empty-sounding laugh on the other side and a rustle. The sound of the water kept on coming just as steady.

“Here I thought I was asking the questions,” the stranger said, unperturbed by Kid’s swearing and his sudden wakefulness.

“Not when you drop a shitbomb like that you fucking asshole, what are you _thinking_!?” Kid demanded, jumping off the bed because he couldn’t just sit still, not during this. He almost tripped in the clothes he’d discarded on the ground and cursed, hitting the lightswitch.

“I’m thinking I should jump,” the voice was low now, quiet, subdued. “I’m thinking that the people around me have a vested interest of keeping me alive, so they refuse to let me go. I’m thinking that a complete stranger is the only person who can tell me if there’s any use of-”

“Of _COURSE_ THERE IS USE!” Kid bellowed, earning a sudden crash from Killer’s room and hurried footsteps echoing in the apartment. “DON’T YOU FUCKING DO THIS, YOU MORON, STEP BACK!”

His heart was beating with a sudden surge of adrenaline and he felt like if he clenched his hand around the phone any harder he’d break the damn thing. There was a shocked gasp on the other side and Kid ignored Killer throwing the door to his room open in favor of dragging his pants up his legs.

“Where the fuck are you?” He growled into the receiver and the shaky intake he received didn’t help him a bit. “Listen very well to me right now, get the fuck back over that railing, you hear? RIGHT _NOW_!”

“Kid, what…?” Killer was staring at him from the door, all sleep-mussed and confused and Kid couldn’t think about him right now, because like fuck was he letting this man just off himself while he was on the phone goddamn it!

There was a distressed noise from the other side, a sudden rustle and then a crack and the connection went damnably dead.

Kid swore a blue streak, throwing a shirt at his friend and telling him to get the car started asap. He punched at the buttons of his phone, bringing up the last conversation details and dialing back. Fuck, fuck if he’d done it, if he’d jumped…

The dial tone sounded in his ear. Ok, so the phone wasn’t on the bottom of a river. That was comforting to know. He threw on the closest t-shirt he could get his hands on and dashed out, grabbing his shoes and racing down the staircase. Killer was two steps before him, recognizing an emergency and dealing with it like the fucking awesome best friend that he was.

The call was answered a moment after Kid hit the ground floor, the sound of water farther away this time and short panting breaths coming in through the receiver.

“What the fuck did you do?” Kid demanded, following Killer to the parked car, asphalt rough under his bare feet.

“I- I dropped the phone while I was getting over the railing…”

“Are you over it now!?”

“Yes.”

“Fucking _stay there_!” Kid insisted, shutting the car door behind himself and waiting until Killer got into the driver’s seat. “Where are you?”

“Please, forget about this, it doesn’t matter, just-”

“Shut the fuck up and tell me which bridge you’re at, or I’ll start driving till I find ya!” Killer was starting the car, ready now and just waiting for a direction. Kid sent him a grateful look, waiting for this guy to get himself back together.

“Minion Bridge,” the name fell heavily from the lips and Kid thought he could remember someone throwing themselves off of there no more than a week ago. Fuck, wasn’t there a murder investigation going on about it? Killer seemed to have heard the destination, though, as he stepped on the gas and turned in the right direction.

“Ok, yeah, shit, I’ll be there in a bit, just- what’s your name?” Kid asked, the adrenaline from moments ago leaving him jittery and shaky.

“Law,” the man on the other side answered, breaths still uneven.

“Ok, Law, just stay where you are, yeah? I’ll be _right_ there.” Kid insisted. He had no fucking idea what he’d do _when_ he did get there, but the thought of not going was unbearable.

“Just…” Law’s voice wavered, before he continued, the last words muffled against something. “Just don’t hang up?”

“Yeah,” Kid said, pressing his phone harder against his ear and running a hand through his hair. “Yeah, I’m right here. I ain’t goin’ nowhere.” 


	62. Public but Private

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> **Prompt by** : Anon  
>  **Prompt** : Angry sex kidlaw  
>  **Rating** : E  
>  **Warnings** : Sex, Rough Sex, Public Sex, Angry Sex, Dirty Talk  
>  **Tags** : Canon Compliant, Fuck Buddies, Angry Sex, Law, Kid, KidLaw  
> Originally posted [here](http://silmil-p-ain.tumblr.com/post/135221433619/angry-sex-kidlaw).

The Grand Line was a big place, the New World even more so. Things like this _should not_ happen as often as they did.

“Trafalgar Law. Didn’t think I’d be seeing your ugly mug anytime soon again,” the man before him grinned wide and just as insane as he was. Law would know.

“Mr. Eustass, if I did not know better, I would think you were stalking me,” he answered easily as he let his eyes wander.

Contrary to what most of the world thought, they did not indeed try to tear their throats out the moment they would lay eyes on each other. Because, really, there were much better things to do, even if they did end up almost as violent sometimes.

Law found himself slammed into a wall not five minutes later, the alley dim and vacant and just a twist away from the prying eyes of every person passing by on the main street. The bustle of people faded into the background as lips attacked his own and Kid’s one remaining flesh and blood hand groped under his jeans insistently.

There was little enjoyment he found these days as great as taunting one Eustass Kid and the beautiful results that earned him. The man was pretty damn aware Law did it on purpose and didn’t mind one bit fucking him into whatever was closest for it.

As was demonstrated by the sharp teeth that bit at his lips, the rough scratch of nails up his ass, the cold press of metal where he was being held against the wall. Eustass Kid was, beyond doubt, physically stronger than him, and sometimes Law could drive him so mad that he would be uncertain himself if he would walk out of their encounters without permanent damage. Or walk out at all.

This wasn’t one of those times, though. Law’s plans had been going well, his invitation to become a Warlord just arrived, and he was beyond happy with the world in general. As much as he ever was, at least. So driving Kid to shove him face-first against the wall and growl in his neck as he bit, was just adding a bit of twist to their unexpected meeting for the fun of it.

“I should just tear these to pieces, let you walk through the town but-naked so everyone can see how nicely I’ve ruined that sweet ass of yours,” Kid's hand pulled impatiently at his belt and pants buttons.

“Do so, Mr. Eustass, and I will make sure you no longer have a dick to ruin anything with,” Law grinned, his own teeth sharp and threatening as he looked over one shoulder.

“Talk big as much as you wanna, you ain’t no match for me,” Kid answered in kind, but he pulled Law’s jeans down enough to expose his ass, before rummaging through his coat for some lube.

The click of a cap echoed, and then two slick fingers were pressing harshly into Law, the pressure insistent until his body gave and they slipped inside, the stab of pain mixing with the pleasure of them landing square on his prostate, and making Law claw at the wall before himself. Kid fucked his fingers in and out of him mercilessly, tearing keens and whines from his panting lips.

“Are you- ugh- are you going to fuck me, or do you want me to go and find someone who _will_?” Law moaned at the press of a third finger, pushing back against it as Kid proceeded to stretch him open with no further delays.

“Like you can ever find someone who can fuck you like I can,” Kid preened behind him, twisting his fingers in a way that made Law’s knees shake.

“You have,” he panted, his voice as unsteady as his feet. “An overly high opinion of yourself, Mis- aaaah,” his forehead fell to the stone wall when the fingers were removed, and he felt the blunt head of Kid’s cock pressing into him. Kid put one hand on a hip, pulling him back on himself as he pressed in, and with a single slick slide, he was buried balls-deep inside Law’s ass.

The metal hand landed on the wall beside him with a clang, and Law wondered absently, with the few faculties of his brain still available to him, why Kid wasn’t putting it all over him. Only then Kid began to _move_ and there was little place for any thinking left at all.

Kid’s thrusts were unforgiving and exactly right, pounding into Law’s prostate with every pass, hand dragging him back harder into his hips. His hands could barely keep hold of the wall, fingernails scratching over the surface like it was his only lifeline. The filthiest praises were falling from his lips, urging Kid to pound into him harder, faster, to give him _more, Eustass, come on, what are you afraid of, that you will break me? You can never break me, just fuck me harder, come on!_

Kid obliged, shoving as hard as his big body could, practically fucking Law up the wall with every thrust, his teeth sinking into Law’s shoulder, bruising even through the material of his shirt. It didn’t take long, before Law’s cock was jerking, coming untouched and sobbing with how good it felt, his ass squeezing tight around Kid and dragging him right along with him.

He came back to Kid breathing heavily behind him, his body pressed into the wall with every rise of the pirate’s chest, and Kid’s cock slipping out of him.

“Fuck, you goddamn slut, you’re so good at this,” Kid breathed into his hair, his hand going down to Law’s ass to give him one last squeeze. “Wish I had something ta stuff you with, make sure none of my cum leaked out of your filthy ass,” he said, Law’s body shaking with the words. “Guess this will have to do it for now, though,” he grinned and tugged Law’s underwear up over him.

Law felt dirty and used, blissed out and so very satisfied, that he couldn’t even find it in him to complain about the treatment. Besides, Kid knew damn well he liked it, there was hardly any reason to pretend at this point.

“Maybe you should bring something next time, you have all those giant pockets in that coat. Gotta fill them up with something,” he said instead. He decided he would give himself a minute before he moved. Yes, a minute would be more than enough to make sure his feet were steady again.

“Maybe I should,” Kid grinned against his ear, and the promise of it made shivers run down his spine.


	63. Breaking Hazard

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> **Prompt by** : Caitlin Fangirlwonder  
>  **Prompt** : apartment super/maintenance guy Kid and What the fuck why is everything in my apartment breaking Law?  
>  **Rating** : T  
>  **Warnings** : Law breaking things to get laid?  
>  **Tags** : Modern AU, Repairman, Law, Kid, KidLaw  
> Originally posted [here](). (will add when tumblr stops being as ass

The first time it was like every other job. 

Well, maybe not  _ every _ job, because a lot of Kid’s jobs were annoying as all fuck and made him fight back the urge to murder the moronic tenants. It wasn’t  _ that _ kind of job, luckily, it was a normal job. 

“So wha’ happened t’ it?” he asked as he eyed the dangling door of the cabinet. Looked like one hinge was torn almost entirely off.

“I tried to open it,” was the matter-of-fact response. Shit, but the guy was lucky he was hot. 

“Oh yeah? I dun’ think that happens e’ry time someone opens one’a those,” Kid snorted, but put his toolbox on the bartop and examined the damaged place more carefully. 

“It was stuck, and my coffee was on the other side,” the man said and glared at him. “Are you going to fix it, or are you here just to chat?”

Yeah, so maybe it  _ was _ one of the annoying jobs after all. 

Kid bit his tongue against the curses he almost let loose. 

The guy was  _ very _ lucky he was hot. 

-x-x-x-x-x-

The second time, it was different. Turns out, the guy was a lot easier to deal with, when he was properly caffeinated. 

“What, did someone try to break in?” Kid raised an eyebrow at the handle of the door that was still in the hand of the white-haired guy. 

Only for him to  _ burst into tears _ . Ok, Kid could deal with a lot of things, but grown up men sobbing like children over a broken toy  _ wasn’t _ one of them. 

The tenant - Kid hadn’t caught his name, but it was T-something, he thought - patted the weird guy on the back and gave an apologetic shrug. 

“He got a bit overexcited,” Trevor-or-whatever explained unhelpfully. “Before I got a chance to unlock the door. Can you fix it, or do I need to call a locksmith?” 

“Gimme a damn minute to see what’s up with it,” Kid grumbled and turned his back to the distressed guy and Trendy. He was, too, with his damn supermodel face and amusement lighting his damn eyes. Gone was the sleep deprived grump from a week ago, and Kid couldn’t figure out how one could be the same as the other. Did he secretly have an evil brother living with him or something?

He wondered if he just imagined those dark eyes tracking his every move while he worked. 

-x-x-x-x-x-

The third time it started getting  _ odd _ .

“How is it you again?” Kid squinted at him as the door - the one he’d fixed last week - opened to reveal the unfairly hot face of Travis. 

“I got cursed by a witch and now everything I touch falls apart,” he said with such a straight face that Kid almost nodded in understanding before he realized what exactly he’d  _ said _ .

“Yeah, and I’m secretly a billionaire that does manual labour in my free time cause I like it,” he snorted and stepped in. “What’d ya break this time? Coffee machine?”   
  
“If that was it, I’d be dead. I need that thing to live,” he deadpanned as he lead Kid to the air conditioner that seemed to be acting up. 

-x-x-x-x-x-

The fourth, fifth and sixth time were actually pretty fun. The Truffle guy - like hell was Kid gonna ever accept that a name such as ‘Trafalgar’ was an  _ actual _ human name - proved to be amusing, fast with a retort and, despite of his sudden inclination to break everything in his path, actually pretty smart. Kid strangely started looking forward to being called in to his apartment - something that seemed to happen no less than once a week. 

He stopped asking  _ what happened _ , since after the third time he never received a single coherent answer. But whatever the cause of the sudden series of unfortunate damages to the apartment, it at least provided him an hour or so of decent conversation. And it helped that the guy wasn’t hard on the eye. 

In fact, it could be said he was hard on other places. 

-x-x-x-x-x-

The seventh time seemed to be the breaking point for Law. Kid couldn’t tell what had snapped his composure, whether it was Kid’s own profuse cursing when the pipe broke, or the sight he must have made, all wet and feral, but  _ something _ did. 

He didn’t make it out of the bathroom for a while, though, because as soon as he was done with his job, there was suddenly a hot, eager tenant pressed against his side, hungry and insatiable. 

Kid… couldn’t find it in himself to protest, really. 

“Can you stop breaking down your stupid apartment now?” he asked, a good while later when they were both sated and sprawled on a big bed comfortably. “It’s a bitch to keep fixin’ it up all the time.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, Mr. Eustass,” Law purred and rested his pointy chin on Kid’s shoulder. 

“I’d believe that line if you hadn’t been livin’ in this place for two years without breakin’ a single thing before now,” Kid growled and squeezed his ass in reprimand. 

“Well, now,” Law grinned and rolled on top of him again, licking up Kid’s throat. “It’s all been holding together for two years. Something was about to give out, eventually.” 

Kid couldn’t find it in him to keep protesting, after that. 

**Author's Note:**

> More prompts are always appreciated at my [tumblr](http://silmil-p-ain.tumblr.com/)!


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